Top 10 Preseason Candidates for 2021–22 Women’s National Player of the Year

Will Paige Bueckers make it two in a row, or can a challenger like Caitlin Clark or Aliyah Boston take home the award?

Dawson Powers, Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports; NCAA Photos

As the month of November quickly approaches, that means women’s college basketball season is near. The celebration of Stanford’s down-to-the-final-second national championship victory during the COVID-19-stricken season, South Carolina's last-second miss in the Final Four, UConn and Baylor’s battle for the ages in the Final Four to Arizona women’s basketball coach reminding us that anything is possible have all become distant memories that we will forever cherish.

But now, it's time to start the journey all over again.

Which players will lift their teams throughout the season with hopes of cutting down the nets and popping champagne bottles in celebration of a national championship? We take a look at the top-10 preseason candidates who could be primed for National Player of the Year recognition while hoping to guide their teams to the top spot of the women's college basketball world.

Paige Bueckers, UConn

If you didn’t witness the greatness and the scoring arsenal of Bueckers last season, one had to have been living under a rock. If you watched the freshman phenom, well, get ready for Volume 2 when the season tips off for the Huskies in nine days. Despite falling short of a National Championship in a loss to Arizona in the Final Four last season, Bueckers exceeded expectations and accomplished things no freshman player had ever done. She became the first freshman and one of two women underclassmen (fellow UConn star Maya Moore) to win the Wooden Award and went on to receive the Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year and the Nancy Lieberman Award.

While Bueckers is not caught up in the hype of awards, her production speaks for itself. She led UConn in points (20 per game), assists (5.8) and steals (2.3) while shooting 46.4% from three-point range. She also scored 20 points on 14 different occasions and posted clutch performances against Tennessee and South Carolina. This season, Bueckers will look to get UConn over the hump as the Huskies have lost in four straight Final Fours after winning four consecutive championships from 2013 to ’16. With all five starters returning that include Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa, the addition of star recruit Azzi Fudd—Bueckers's friend—and Ohio State transfer Dorka Juhasz, “Paige Buckets” and the Huskies look prime to bring a 12th national title to Storrs.

Caitlin Clark, Iowa

While a ton of attention was placed on Bueckers's scoring prowess, Clark was building her own résumé with the Hawkeyes as the country’s leading scorer (26.6 ppg) while averaging 7.1 assists last season in an offensive set built to her strengths. She recorded 12 games with at least 30 points last season. No other player was more important to the success of their team than Clark, who led the Hawkeyes to a Sweet 16 appearance. Despite the loss to UConn in the tournament, that experience along with Clark playing in the FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup put her in a position to take her game to new heights this season. But, as no secret, the overall success of the Hawkeyes’ program will come down to how well Clark plays and whether the defense has improved from last season.

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

Social media platforms went through an emotional frenzy when Boston missed a putback attempt against Stanford in the women’s Final Four. That emotion, however, was felt far worse in the eyes and tears of Boston as she was nearly moments away from a national championship appearance. As a freshman, Boston and the Gamecocks could not compete for a national title due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. And, while last season is behind her, that emotional moment will likely fuel the Gamecocks' center for another stellar year.

After winning National Freshman of the Year in her first season and a two-time recipient of Lisa Leslie Center of the Year recognition, Boston will look to lead South Carolina to its fourth Final Four in school history and a second national championship under legendary coach Dawn Staley. Boston averaged 14.1 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game last season. While she is undeniably the face of the program, the Gamecocks return key players—Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke—from last season and boasted the nation’s top transfer class that includes former ACC Freshman of the Year and co-Defender of the Year Kamilla Cardoso (who played at Syracuse last season). Keep a close eye on Boston and South Carolina as the season unfolds.

NaLyssa Smith, Baylor

Smith might be the most dynamic player out of this year’s group of star-studded players. While she led Baylor in points (18 per game) and rebounds (9) last season, winning the Wade Trophy (best upperclassmen basketball player of the year) and playing alongside now WNBA players Didi Richards and DiJonai Carrington who played in the Elite Eight, she will be asked to do a lot more in Waco this season.

Smith, in addition to Richards and Carrington, will not be playing with Moon Ursin, who transferred to LSU and then to Tulane. She will also be without longtime coach Kim Mulkey, who left the program to coach at LSU. With former Dream coach Nicki Collen leading the Bears' program, expect Smith to further develop and unlock different layers of her game. Over the last three seasons, the senior has shown she can crash the boards, score against defenders her height or taller as well as the athleticism and score against smaller defenders. However, the more versatility Smith adds to her game with the help of Collen as coach, the more dangerous she becomes when she steps on the court and, even more, potentially at the WNBA level. Smith returns for what should be a monumental year and an even greater one depending on how far she can lead Baylor throughout the season and into March.

Ashley Owusu, Maryland

Maryland led the nation in scoring offense last season and a big part of that came from the play Owusu and her backcourt partner, Diamond Miller. If one had to associate a team with the term “efficient” in the dictionary, Maryland would be it and Owusu would be the leader. She serves as the catalyst to the Terrapins’ offense. Last season, she led Maryland in points (17.9 per game) while dishing out 5.9 assists and grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game. Owusu’s consistent production—averaging double figures point totals in all 29 games last season—is what makes her a special player. After winning the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award—the nation’s top shooting guard—and guiding the Terrapins to the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, there is more in store for Owusu.

Maryland returns a good portion of its roster from last season that includes the dynamic play and production of Miller (17.3 ppg), Angel Reese and an elite shooter in Katie Benzan. If Owusu plays anything close to how she played last year and perfects her long-range shooting skills, she will be in contention for the nation’s top awards, and Maryland will be among the elite teams with hopes of avenging two consecutive Sweet 16 upsets. 

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky

Howard is undeniably the best player in the SEC and one of the nation’s dynamics players. After winning the 2019 National Freshman of the Year, she earned back-to-back SEC Player of the Year honors ('20, '21) while elevating her game in nearly every aspect of her game last season except for points. She led the Wildcats in points (20.7 per game), rebounds (7.3), assists (3.8) and three-pointers (shooting 37.3%). The biggest question mark for second-year head coach Kyra Elzy will be which player will step up and help from an offensive production standpoint to go along with Howard.

The Wildcats lost three starters from last season. And, like any star on a team, help will be needed to compete for a national championship. While the senior has proven she can carry her load, lifting Kentucky to its first Sweet 16 appearance for the first time since 2016 this season will start with Howard as well as finding ways to elevate her teammates to play at a high level. Last season, Kentucky was bounced from the second round of the tournament and no other player came close to producing the amount of offense that Howard provided. If another player can step up to help offensively while Howard—who will likely be in the running for a third SEC POY honor—continues to elevate, look for Kentucky to be a dangerous team. 

Haley Jones, Stanford

Stanford does not win the national championship last season without the play of Jones, who was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player while averaging 20.5 points and six rebounds in the Cardinal's Final Four games. Her versatility is the strongest asset to her game. Last season, Jones averaged 13.2 points per game and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 54.6% from the field.

Looking to build off the program’s first championship since 1992 and one that encountered many COVID-19 restrictions, Jones will anchor a Stanford team with a balanced roster looking to run it back as national champions. Despite losing Kiana Williams to the WNBA, the Cardinal will feature a highly recruited guard in Jana Van Gytenbeek to help Jones & Co. this season.

Elissa Cunane, NC State

Cunane plays at the center position but brings so much more to the table for the Wolfpack. She can knock down three-pointers (38.7% from beyond the arc last season), score in the paint, play efficiently (shot more than 60% from the floor during the ACC tournament) while displaying great vision that helps facilitate the flow of the Wolfpack’s offense.

Last season, she led the team in points (16.3 per game), grabbed 8.3 rebounds while shooting 53.3% from the floor. Cunane’s play undoubtedly helped NC State to repeat as back-to-back ACC champions and to earn a No. 1 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament. Despite losing in the Sweet 16, Cunane—with her dominance on both sides of the floor—and the Wolfpack are certainly a team to keep close tabs on. NC State coach Wes Moore added a stellar guard in Diamond Johnson (who averaged 17 or more per game at Rutgers last season), convinced Raina Perez to remain on the team one more year, a Mississippi State transfer in guard Madison Hayes and the ACC co-Sixth Player of the Year Jada Boyd. If NC State can build off its success from last season, expect to see the Wolfpack become a major threat come tournament time. 

Naz Hillmon, Michigan

When the conversation of elite scorers comes up, it is mandatory that Hillmon’s name be mentioned. While winning Big Ten Player of the Year last season in a highly competitive conference, the senior consistently gets the job done every time she steps on the floor. Last season, she led the Wolverines in scoring (23.9 ppg) and grabbed 11.4 rebounds per game while shooting 62.3% from the field.

If winning Big Ten POY honors wasn’t enough, Hillmon broke Rudy Tomjanovich’s school record when she dropped 50 points against Ohio State. While her iconic performance led the Wolverines to their first Sweet 16 in program history, Hillmon will be hungry for more. This season, however, more of her leadership will be asked as Michigan will be without starters from last year’s team due to graduation. But, as a positive, Hillmon has her point guard Amy Dilk and a talented forward in Leigha Brown that should put Michigan in conversation to be a solid contender in the Big Ten. If that happens, it would have all started with the play of Hillmon. 

Zia Cooke, South Carolina

While much attention goes to Boston, Cooke is rightfully a star player of her own. She averaged nearly 16 points and two rebounds per game while shooting 39.3% from the floor. While she possesses a quiet, under-the-radar demeanor, don’t be fooled.

Cooke improved her scoring average by more than three points last season which coincidentally comes at the fact that she is efficient from beyond the arc. Last season, on a team where coach Staley does not place a ton of importance on three-point shooting, she shot 39.3% from long range. As a player who saw her minutes increase as a sophomore from her freshman season, Cooke now knows what it will take to get the program over the hump to another national championship after the heartbreaking loss in the Final Four. The margin for error is slim. Cooke could be primed for another boost in her collegiate career this season. 

Ten more to watch:

• Diamond Miller, Maryland
• Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
• Lexie Hull, Stanford
• Charisma Osburne, UCLA
• Cate Reese, Arizona
• Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
• Diamond Johnson, NC State
• Hailey Van Lith, Louisville
• Ashley Joens, Iowa State
• Rae Burrell, Tennessee

Honorable mentions:

• Kierstan Bell, Florida Gulf Coast
• Grace Berger, Indiana
• Veronica Burton, Northwestern
• Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech
• Jordan Lewis, Baylor
• Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
• Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
• Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State
• Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
• Christyn Williams, UConn