JuJu Wins Big... and So Does the Big Ten 🏆

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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

1. Big Ten Sweeps the Naismith Awards 🧹

For the first time in conference history, the Big Ten has claimed all three major Naismith honors:

• Player of the Year: JuJu Watkins (USC) — The electric sophomore averaged 23.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 3.4 APG, powering USC to a 31–4 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

• Coach of the Year: Cori Close (UCLA) — In UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten, Close led the Bruins to a 34–2 record, a conference tournament title, and their first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance.

• Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Betts (UCLA) — The 6'7" center dominated both ends of the floor, leading the Big Ten with 3 blocks per game while also averaging 20 points and 9.6 rebounds.

👉 Full story via Yahoo! Sports

WHY IT MATTERS: This clean sweep is historic for the Big Ten—but even more notable is that all three honorees come from newly minted conference members USC and UCLA. In their very first season in the Big Ten, two West Coast programs claimed the league’s top awards. It’s a clear statement: the so-called “forgotten coast” is now front and center in the national spotlight.

2. Wooden Award Race Down to Final Five ✋

The John R. Wooden Award has named its five finalists for the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball:

• Paige Bueckers (UConn)

• Lauren Betts (UCLA)

• Madison Booker (Texas)

• Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)

• JuJu Watkins (USC)

The winner will be announced on April 11 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Also earning Wooden All-America honors: Georgia Amoore (Kentucky), Ta'Niya Latson (Florida State), Olivia Miles (Notre Dame), Aneesah Morrow (LSU), and Hailey Van Lith (TCU). (AP News)

WHY IT MATTERS: The annual Wooden Award is the gold standard of college hoops honors. This year’s finalists highlight the balance across women’s basketball—rising stars like sophomores Booker, Hidalgo, and Watkins, alongside veteran leaders Bueckers and Betts. And with UCLA and USC both represented, the spotlight keeps shining on the West Coast’s emerging dominance and the Pac-12-to-Big-Ten power shift.

3. Harvard's Turner Makes Ivy League History 📚🏀

Harvard senior guard Harmoni Turner has been named the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year, presented by Her Hoops Stats. (Her Hoops Stats)

WHY IT MATTERS: Turner’s award is a milestone for the Ivy League—and a reminder that elite talent thrives beyond the Power 4. She delivered what may be the most dominant season in Harvard basketball history, averaging 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. Turner also recorded the only two 40-point games in program history and holds three of the top five single-game scoring performances ever for the Crimson.