Though there is no shortage of celebrity power, who will succeed Caitlin Clark as the public face of women’s collegiate basketball?
JuJu Watkins (12), a guard for the Southern California Trojans, strikes a pose at the Park MGM Las Vegas Conference Center during the Pac-12 women’s basketball media day. Credit Required: Kirby Lee, USA
Old and new fans of women’s basketball had a fever last year that only Caitlin Clark could cure, and her viral renown went well beyond that of an ordinary college athlete. In addition to being the Indiana Fever’s clear top draft choice, Clark also amassed a large following, signed non-deals, and earned power in the process.
Clark had 1.5 million Instagram followers at the end of her college career, with 47% of those followers coming from the weeks leading up to the 2023 and 2024 Final Four. After the WNBA Draft, her following increased to 2.2 million. For Clark, these figures have paid off in spades.
With a $154,000 valuation, Clark ranked as the 12th highest NIL earner in women’s basketball in 2023, according to On3. With a valuation of $3.1 million this year—more than a 20-fold increase in NIL sponsorships—that position surged up to #1. That doesn’t include other agreements, like the stunning $5 million shoe deal with Nike that was recently announced, or Ice Cube’s $5 million offer for Clark to play in the Big 3 league, which she turned down in favor of the WNBA Draft.
In addition, Clark made history earlier this spring when she was the first and only basketball player to wear Prada to a WNBA Draft draft night. She was also just the fourth female athlete to ever participate on Saturday Night Live. It’s safe to say that Clark was the dominant figure in women’s basketball during the previous season, and she doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
To be sure, Clark deserves all the recognition and honors, yet there are advantages and disadvantages to this circumstance. While more people are watching women’s basketball as a whole, Paige Bueckers of UConn talked about the disadvantages of focusing so much attention on one player when asked if she was prepared to assume the title of women’s college basketball poster star for the upcoming season during this year’s women’s tournament.
In reaction, Buckers stated, “I believe it’s more important for the game to share the spotlight in order to grow the game and show all the stars of college basketball and not just focus on one particular player.” Whether it’s Angel [Reese], JuJu [Watkins], Caitlin, or me. There are a ton of well-known, deserving talents in college basketball these days.
Without any fault of her own, Caitlin Clark dominated the sports media’s headlines the previous season. However, as both Clark and Bueckers have previously highlighted, there is plenty of star power to go around in women’s collegiate basketball. This is something that the sports media mostly ignored. The following athletes should receive a lot of media attention in 2019 because it is evident that sports media still has a long way to go in providing fair and balanced coverage of women’s basketball players.
Paige Bueckers, G, UConn
Paige Bueckers should undoubtedly be mentioned when discussing the top return players in women’s college basketball. Despite a few bumps in the road caused by injury, Bueckers’s first full season back was nothing short of spectacular.Bueckers, who averages 21.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and a 55% field goal percentage, is a versatile player for the Huskies, who will likely make another deep postseason run in the upcoming campaign.
Watkins, F. Juju, USC
Juju Watkins had a tremendous rookie campaign, coming in second only behind Clark in terms of scoring (27.1 points per game on average). Even in the postseason, Watkins’s youth was evident as she averaged over 20 points per game throughout March Madness, including a 30-point outing against Baylor and double-doubles in both points and rebounds against Kansas and UConn. In the postgame handshake line, head coach Geno Auriemma of UConn gave Watkins two pieces of advise after USC’s defeat to the Huskies in the Elite Eight: “Go pro.”
To suggest that Juju is that good—especially for a freshman—is not hyperbole. Watkins, fortunately for USC supporters, is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
Iriafen, F. Kiki, USC
With Kiki Iriafen, a former standout player at Stanford, and Watkins, two gifted forwards, joining the Trojans next season, USC is poised to become college basketball’s next superteam. Iriafen, a senior, is expected to make a significant contribution to a Trojans team that is already loaded following her excellent junior season.
Iriafen averaged 19.4 points, 11 rebounds, and recorded back-to-back double doubles in Stanford’s final two postseason games the previous season. USC is a strong contender for the championship if rebounding wins them, and Iriafen might be crucial to her new team’s success in the tournament.
Crooks, C., Iowa State Audi
Iowa State center Audi Crooks is a necessary component of any list of clutch postseason performers. After averaging 19.1 points and 7.8 rebounds for the 2023–24 season, Crooks put up tremendous postseason numbers as a rookie for the Cyclones last season, including a 40-point, 12-rebound outburst against Maryland.
Furthermore, in Stanford’s second-round postseason game this past March, Crooks was instrumental in keeping first-round WNBA Draft pick Cameron Brink in check. Brink averaged over 17 points per game the previous season, but Crooks forced her to foul out with just over two minutes remaining in the game. After the game, Brink told Crooks, a freshman, “You’re already good,” despite the Cyclones’ overtime loss. You’re going to excel greatly.
Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame
Last season’s women’s basketball team had a lot of high-achieving freshman, and Hannah Hidalgo is the perfect example of this trend. Many believed that Notre Dame’s chances of making the playoffs in 2024 were unlikely after the team lost standout guard Olivia Miles to injury in the previous season. Introducing Hannah Hidalgo, a rookie guard.
Hidalgo led the country in steals with an average of 4.6 per game, finishing sixth in the country in scoring last season with an average of 22.6 points per game. Hidalgo is a monster on both ends of the court and uses her fast-paced style of play to generate controlled chaos. Both of these skills are enormous benefits for the Fighting Irish.
MiLaysia Fulwiley, G, South Carolina
Without a representative from the reigning champion Gamecocks, this list wouldn’t be complete, and MiLaysia Fulwiley more than lives up to the hoopla surrounding her name. Fulwiley is another exceptional freshman from the 2023 recruiting class who will be a long-term star for South Carolina.
The numbers don’t say much when you look at Fulwiley’s averages: 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.None of these numbers place in the top 150 in the country, despite the fact that they are commendable and helped South Carolina win the championship. Though it’s no small feat that Fulwiley contributed double-digit scoring for the Gamecocks in her freshman campaign while only averaging 18.4 minutes per game, the stat to watch is Fulwiley’s average minutes played. You can double all of her stats to get an idea of her potential as a starter and future key player for South Carolina.
Next year, the Gamecocks hope to cap off their “Repeat Tour” with a second straight championship, and it’s likely that Fulwiley will play a significant role in their quest for history over the coming years.
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