Even though some of the stars have recovered from injuries this year, the 2022-23 women’s college basketball season won’t be without excitement and competition.we are already Which team is most likely to win the NCAA Tournament?but there are other teams that can put money on them.
UConn have many questions to answer this season without Paige Bookers, but the Huskies still have enough talent to succeed. He may have some growing pains, but by the time March rolls around, he’ll likely have a deep run all the way to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas, Iowa State, and Louisville are three other teams that could be vying for a spot on the final weekend. Point Her Guard Lori Her Harmon may be young, but her leadership could lead the Longhorns to success. The Cyclones, on the other hand, got a big advantage with the return of Ashley Jones for the fifth season. They retain a lot of talent and have added a solid alumni transfer in addition to being the 13th recruiting class in the nation.
Here are the details of the four teams that could advance to the Final Four:
UConn Husky
UConn has always been one of the favorites under Geno Auriemma, but the loss of Paige Bueckers could see the Huskies down the ranks. Bookers will miss this season while recovering from her torn ACL, but the 2022 national runner-up still has a good chance of making it work. They started the season as the #6 team in the AP voting and are the unanimous Big East preseason favorites.
The Huskies had their fair share of injuries and illnesses last season, with several players still recovering from surgery. It is possible. Her sophomore guard, Azzi Fudd, is her only double-digit scorer, and she has to play a big leadership role. She missed a good deal of playing time last season due to a leg injury, but was still impressive enough to be on the Big East All-Freshman team in 2022. Fudd has 12.1 points per game. and finished third on the team with double-digit scoring in 15 games. She led the team past the arc with her 43% shooting from her 3-point range.
Caroline Ducharm, another 2022 All-Freshman, averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. Redshirt junior Her forward, Aubrey Griffin, missed all of last season due to back surgery, but she made it off the field in her first two seasons at UConn. showed potential in over 51% of shots. On the other side of the ball, the Huskies have Big East Defensive Player of the Year Nika returning his mule. UConn is also adding the #4 freshman class in the country headlines by her two top five recruits, Ayanna Patterson and Isuneh “Ice” Brady.
texas longhorns
The Longhorns are heading into the season in third place in the Associated Press preseason polls, and Lori Harmon is front and center on a highly anticipated Texas team. Last year she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Most Valuable Player of the Big 12 Tournament. She also received the All-America Selected Award from the AP and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Harmon is the leading scorer among returners, averaging her 11.4 points per game. She also led the team in assists (5.0) and steals (2.4) per game.
Another solid returnee is Aaliyah Moore, who missed a significant amount of playing time last season due to an ankle injury. Over the course of the season, Moore averaged his 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, while his 51.3% shooting percentage was one of his highest on the team. She helped the Longhorns to the Elite Eight in her NCAA Tournament with performances such as her double-double of 18 points and her 10 rebounds in the first round and her season-high 21 points in the second round. helped me get out. Like Harmon, she was also named to her team in the All-Big 12 preseason. This month, Moore was named She’s on the 2023 Katrina McClain Watchlist. This is an honor given to the best power forward in the country.
Transfers are also useful for Longhorns. BYU’s Shayley Gonzalez has been named his WCC Player of the Year for 2022. DePaul’s Sonya Morris was unanimously named to the All-Big East First Team. Oregon State’s Taylor Jones had his season cut short by a shoulder injury, but in his nine games she played, Jones averaged 12.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and shot 64.9% of his average. did.
Cyclone, Iowa
The Cyclones had their best season in program history last year, winning 28 games, 14 of them in the Big 12. During the season they ranked in his AP Top 10 for the first time since 2002. 8th place in preseason voting. The Cyclones have a great chance to continue their success with four returning starters.
The important part is that Ashley Jones will return for the fifth season. She was a top 20 scorer in the nation and led the team with 20.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She capped off the season by winning her second consecutive Sheryl Miller Award, becoming the first player to win it two years in a row.
The team also brings back Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Lexi Donalski. She was also the second most consistent scorer with 14.3 points per game, thus contributing significantly on both sides of her ball. Emily Ryan scored his third in double figures with his 13.1 points per game. She led the team in steals, and she was third in the nation with 7.1 assists per game.
Alumni Transfer Stephanie Soares could add more strength to the roster.The two-time NAIA Player of the Year award averaged 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds and 12.2 rebounds at Masters University in Santa Clarita last season. 3.7 blocks recorded.
Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals are ACC preseason favorites and #7 in the AP preseason. It’s hard to imagine Emily Englester, Kiana Smith, and Chelsea Hall replacing each other. However, the Cardinals retain a lot of talent. Leading scorer Haley Van Ris returns as a senior. She averaged 14.4 points per game last season, averaging her 15.4 points per game playing in the ACC. She was named to the All-Her ACC First Her Team and was named the NCAA Wichita Regional Player of the Year.
Olivia Cochran, Mykasa Robinson and Liz Dixon are solid returners on the offense as they shoot 50% or more from the field. Robison is also a versatile defensive player who can guard all positions. She was named to her ACC All-Defensive Her Team for the second year in a row. Robinson is one of her five graduate students on the roster. Besides, she has two experienced players transferred from her ACC. Morgan Jones from Florida and Chris Linker from Syracuse. Jones led the Seminoles with 13.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Last season, she made the pre-season All-ACC team along with Van Ris.
Carr, meanwhile, was the starting point guard for the orange point guard. She averaged 14.2 points per game, including seven 20-point games. The Cardinals also bring in the 13th recruiting class in the nation, with four top 100 prospects next season: Gianna Walker, Jalyn Brown, Naira Harris and Imani Lester.
