There is no doubt that this has been Caitlin Clark's season. As the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history from Iowa, her excellence has filled arenas and thrilled fans. However, there is also a group of flashy and talented new players who are making their mark on the court and declaring, “We’ve got next!”
Across the country, first-year stars like JuJu Watkins of Southern California, Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame, MiLaysia Fulwiley of South Carolina, and Madison Booker of Texas are leading their teams and hinting at even bigger achievements in their first NCAA Tournament.
Booker's coach at Texas, Vic Schaefer, said, “I think our game is in pretty good hands for the next foreseeable future. All those kids are helping their teams, which is so unusual.”
This has become more common this season.
Watkins, the 6-foot-2 Trojans forward, has scored 810 points, surpassing Clark's freshman tally of 799 points. With a strong tournament run, Watkins could reach the NCAA freshman record of 898 set by Tina Hutchinson of San Diego State in 1984.
Hidalgo from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Fulwiley from the Southeastern Conference, and Booker from the Big 12 were all named MVPs after leading their teams to titles. It would not be surprising to see several of them making significant progress towards the Final Four in the seasons ahead.
Watkins said, “It’s my first year, so I don’t know what to expect. I’m just ready to go with it.”
This first-year class is not only talented but also deep. Defending national champion LSU recruited Mikaylah Williams, a 6-foot guard who started 29 games this season. Her 42 points in a win over Kent State were the most for a Tiger in 25 years.
Iowa State freshmen Audi Crooks and Addy Brown combined for 56 starts this season and contributed 32 points per game for the 20-win Cyclones. Nebraska features Big Ten freshman of the year, Natalie Potts, and the team had a 1-2 record against Clark and Iowa.
Southern Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb emphasized that she had the best of a great group of new players.
“Nationally, it’s amazing,” Gottlieb remarked. “Hannah and Booker, Mikaylah Williams, and Donovyn Hunter (of Oregon State).
“I don’t know, we sometimes ask, ‘What are they feeding them now? What are they doing in club basketball?’” Gottlieb said. “They’ve come in really prepared, and it’s impressive to see.”
Hidalgo quickly became a team leader with Notre Dame star Olivia Miles sidelined after tearing a knee ligament in March 2023. Hidalgo leads the country with 147 steals this season, setting an NCAA freshman record.
Hidalgo mentioned that her coaches and teammates trusted her from the start, which helped make the transition to college easier.
“I learned to just kind of have confidence in myself,” she said. “Right when I came in, they were like, ‘Hannah, shoot the ball, score the ball.’ That was really big for me.”
Fulwiley also had a (mostly) green light from South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who offered her a scholarship when she was in seventh grade. Fulwiley gained attention — even from NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson — in her first college game for a coast-to-coast drive where she put the ball behind her back to evade a Notre Dame defender before making a basket.
A more confident Fulwiley led the team in the SEC championship win over LSU, scoring a career-high 24 points.
Fulwiley, a freshman, expressed how meaningful the experience was for her and her team in her first time at the event.
Booker, the first freshman to win Big 12 player of the year, also received the league’s freshman honor for averaging 16.9 points and leading the Longhorns in assists after Texas star Rori Harmon got injured.
Booker acknowledged her coaches and teammates for keeping her confident and pushing her to keep going.
Texas A&M coach Joni Taylor acknowledged the bright future of the game with many young stars, noting the attention on freshmen this year.
Coach Joni Taylor pointed out the growing recognition of the women's game, with more attention on it now than ever before and a focus on talented freshmen.
