Selection Sunday is only four days away, with a number of teams having already punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament. But before the madness gets into full swing, we’re looking back at some of the top players in women’s college basketball this season.
Among players, is honoring the best of the best with its 2021–22 All-American teams, which includes a first, second and third team. While these individuals still have the opportunity to continue to impress well into March (and April’s Final Four), we looked at their total body of work so far to determine this year’s honorees.
Boston is a walking double-double machine, averaging 16.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. After shedding 25 pounds last summer, she improved her footwork and perfected her touch and awareness in the paint to finish through double- and triple-team defenses. The most fascinating thing about the 6'5" forward is how she constantly impacts the game, leading the country in win shares (14.0) according to HerHoopStats. Boston passed Sylvia Fowles for the SEC’s all-time record for most consecutive double doubles (19) and recorded her 24th straight in the SEC championship game. Her production in points is not as high as others, but she is the undeniable reason South Carolina has been No. 1 all season. —
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Clark put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in college basketball history. Among other metrics, she became the only Division I men’s or women’s player to top the 650-point, 200-assist, 175-rebound mark in her first 25 games. And in a torrid January, she averaged 30.4 points, 9.1 assists and 7.7 rebounds. On the season, the sophomore guard scored more than 30 points 11 times and more than 40 points four times. A no-brainer selection. —
NaLyssa Smith, Baylor
A likely top-two pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, Smith lived up to expectations during her senior season. She averaged 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, both marks up from her junior year. She showed continuous improvement throughout her tenure at Baylor, becoming one of the country’s most prolific players by season’s end. —
Naz Hillmon, Michigan
Hillmon accomplished a feat no other Wolverine player—man or woman—has done in school history in notching 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. The 6'2" senior forward is the 14th-highest scorer in the nation, averaging 21.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Her ability to score anywhere within the three-point line—especially in the paint—makes her so tough to stop. Despite an early exit from the conference tourney and a slight decline statistically this season, Hillmon is the catalyst for how far Michigan will go in this year’s Big Dance. And who knows—maybe she’ll explode for another 50-point game, like she did against Ohio State in January 2021. —
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Lee put up the best individual performance of the entire season, making history on Jan. 23 when she scored a Division I women’s basketball record 61 points in a win over Oklahoma. Against the Sooners in that contest, she went 23-for-30 from the field and nearly outscored OU, which finished the contest with 65 points. But Lee’s stellar showing in that game was just one of many for the Wildcats center. According to HerHoopsStats, Lee finished the season No. 3 nationally in win shares. —