How Watkins, sophomores will build on NCAA basketball debuts

Hannah Hidalgo and MiLaysia Fulwiley made their women’s college basketball debuts half a world away. But the freshmen wasted no time becoming international sensations.

Facing off in Paris on the opening day of the 2023-24 season, Hidalgo was fearless from the jump, scoring 13 first-quarter points and finishing with 31, the most for a Notre Dame player in her first game. Fulwiley dazzled for South Carolina with a 17-point, 6-assist, 6-steal effort, including a jaw-dropping, coast-to-coast, behind-the-back layup Magic Johnson called on X “the best move in all of basketball.”

“Hidalgo and Fulwiley moving DIFFERENT out here,” NBA legend Kevin Durant also posted on X.

The game didn’t turn out to be competitive — the Gamecocks cruised to a 100-71 victory, their first win in an undefeated season. But in their first minutes on the NCAA stage, Hidalgo and Fulwiley stood out, foreshadowing what was to come for them and a freshman class that left its mark on women’s college basketball last season.

JuJu Watkins resurrected a historic program at USC and nearly propelled the Trojans to a Final Four berth. Madison Booker stepped up at Texas, helping the Longhorns win the Big 12 tournament and reach the Elite Eight despite losing Rori Harmon midseason. Mikaylah Williams showed flashes of the star she can be at LSU. Audi Crooks‘ 40 points in Iowa State‘s first-round win over Maryland marked the most by a freshman in NCAA tournament history.

Fulwiley and teammate Tessa Johnson — who had a season-high 19 points in the national championship game — were the only freshmen last season to win the NCAA title. That’ll be the goal this year for players like Watkins, Hidalgo and Booker, but they aren’t the only ones who will impact the women’s college basketball landscape.

That special group of players now enters the 2024-25 season ready to take head-on the challenges that come with their sophomore years and to elevate their programs to new heights.

ESPN looks at the top 10 sophomores to watch and what they might do for an encore.

2023-24 stats: 27.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.3 APG

Breakout moment: Take your pick: scoring 32 points in her first collegiate game vs. Ohio State, dropping 51 points against then-No. 4 Stanford, or leading USC to its first Pac-12 tournament title since 2014 and first Elite Eight berth since 1994.

Biggest strengths: At 6-foot-2, Watkins has the size of a forward but is a three-level scoring guard with the strength and power, athleticism and handles to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. Her 27.1 points per game ranked second in Division I behind Caitlin Clark, and her 920 points were the most scored by a freshman in Division I history.

What to watch this season: Watkins worked on her efficiency, pace and left hand this summer. Big picture: Her leadership and consistency will be key for a team that graduated last season’s Ivy League transfers and is ushering in two prominent transfers plus a large freshman class. And unlike last season, Watkins and USC aren’t sneaking up on anyone. — Philippou

2023-24 stats: 22.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.5 APG

Breakout moment: Aside from the aforementioned game against South Carolina, a 34-point, 10-rebound, 6-assist performance in a statement win at UConn in late January was as gutsy a moment as any. She also won ACC tournament MVP.

Biggest strengths: Her fearlessness and two-way play. Not only did she set an ACC freshman scoring record (790 points), Hidalgo led Division I in steals per game (4.6) and won ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

What to watch this season: How do Hidalgo and Olivia Miles share duties in the backcourt? The Irish have indicated the on-court meshing of the two point guards has gone very smoothly, with Hidalgo saying, “I think the puzzle pieces go together perfectly” and coach Niele Ivey calling the pairing “electric.” — Philippou

2023-24 stats: 16.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.0 APG

Breakout moment: Three days after starting guard Rori Harmon was lost for the season with a knee injury, Booker had 25 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in Texas’ conference opener against Baylor on Dec. 30. The Longhorns lost, but Booker showed she was ready to step into the bigger role she had the rest of the season.

Biggest strengths: Booker’s scoring and playmaking stand out. She had 14 assists in Texas’ NCAA tournament first-round win over Drexel.

What to watch this season: She was co-player of the year, freshman of the year and tournament MVP in the Big 12. As Texas moves to the SEC, Booker will look to improve her 3-point shooting (19-of-62, 30.6%). — Voepel

2023-24 stats: 19.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.0 APG

Breakout moment: Crooks had 15 points and 10 rebounds in Iowa State’s 67-58 loss to Iowa on Dec. 6. She had bigger scoring games before that, and was 4-of-10 from the field against the Hawkeyes. Still, the performance against a major rival, then ranked No. 4, was a statement.

Biggest strengths: Crooks shot 57.7% from the field and 58.7% from 2-point range last season. She also was consistent, scoring in double figures in every game except her college debut, when she had eight points.

What to watch this season: She was one of three freshmen to make the All-Big 12 first team. Crooks is a good rebounder who can get even better. Crooks also can learn from the Cyclones’ NCAA tournament second-round loss to Stanford, in which she shot 3-of-21 from the field for 10 points. — Voepel

2023-24 stats: 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.9 APG

Breakout moment: In her fourth college game, Williams scored 42 points in a Nov. 14 victory over Kent State, going 15-of-20 from the field.

Biggest strengths: Williams was the top 3-point shooter for the Tigers, going 57-of-150 (38.0%). LSU was 10th in the SEC in total 3-pointers, so it’s not a team strength. But it was for Williams, who was the SEC Freshman of the Year.

What to watch this season: LSU might need Williams’ playmaking skills to develop a little more, especially with the departure of the team’s assists leader, Hailey Van Lith, who transferred to TCU. — Voepel

2023-24 stats: 11.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.2 APG

Breakout moment: With 24 points against LSU in the title game, Fulwiley became the first freshman to win SEC tournament most outstanding player since Candace Parker in 2006.

Biggest strengths: Dawn Staley called Fulwiley “generational” before she even stepped foot on campus. We saw flashes of that throughout her freshman season, even as she mostly came off the bench. Fulwiley can create for herself and others, particularly in the open floor and make an impact defensively. When at her best, she plays with a highlight-reel flair.

What to watch this season: On a stacked South Carolina squad, will Fulwiley make the jump? If she cuts down on the mistakes and ups her efficiency and consistency, she could be one of the best players in the nation this season. — Philippou

Addy Brown, Iowa State, forward

2023-24 stats: 13.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.8 APG

Breakout moment: Brown helped the Cyclones get off to a 5-0 conference start with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists at Oklahoma State in her first Big 12 game on Dec. 30.

Biggest strengths: Brown led the Cyclones and tied for fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding, while also ranking second on the team in assists and 3-pointers made.

What to watch this season: Brown was one of the most complete players in the Big 12 as a freshman, with a big impact offensively and defensively. Look for her to score even more this season. — Voepel

S’Mya Nichols, Kansas, guard

2023-24 stats: 15.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.7 APG

Breakout moment: Nichols scored in double figures in back-to-back losses vs. Virginia Tech (59-58) and UConn (71-63) on Nov. 24-25 in the Cayman Islands Classic. She didn’t shoot well — a combined 9-of-25 — but considering the caliber of opponents in her fourth and fifth college games, she showed she wasn’t intimidated.

Biggest strengths: Kansas made the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals and the NCAA tournament second round, as Nichols averaged 19.8 points in her last eight games. In the Jayhawks’ NCAA loss to USC and Watkins, Nichols had 22 points.

What to watch this season: She joined fellow freshmen Crooks and Booker on the All-Big 12 first team last season. Nichols shot 40% from behind the arc (30-of-75) and is likely to take more 3-pointers this season. — Voepel

2023-24 stats: 11.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.4 APG

Breakout moment: She didn’t sustain these numbers throughout the rest of March, but Shade started her NCAA tournament career with 26 points against Jackson State and 19 against Syracuse in the first two rounds, hitting five 3-pointers in each contest.

Biggest strengths: Shade was forced to take on a larger role for a Huskies team decimated by injuries, emerging as a much-needed third scorer behind Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards. She shot 48.1% from the floor and 35.6% from 3.

What to watch this season: With the Huskies’ influx of promising freshmen and players returning from injury, what role will Shade, the reigning Big East Freshman of the Year, carve out as a sophomore? — Philippou

2023-24 stats: 22.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG

Breakout moment: Scott, who played her freshman season at Arkansas, showed her scoring prowess from Game 1, when she had 29 points against UL Monroe.

Biggest strengths: Scott is an instant-offense type of player but will look to improve her accuracy from behind the arc (52-of-176, 29.5%).

What to watch this season: Scott is dealing with an injury that has delayed her start to practice, although she is expected to return early in the regular season. Last season with the Razorbacks, she was limited to 20 games while dealing with a back injury and a family emergency. — Voepel

Honorable mention:

Zoe Brooks, NC State, 9.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.4 APG

Oluchi Okananwa, Duke, 9.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.5 APG

Natalie Potts, Nebraska, 10.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.8 APG

KK Arnold, UConn, 8.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.2 APG

Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State, 12.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 APG