The Race for Player of the Year Is On—Who’s in the Final 15?

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What To Know About Women’s Basketball Today

1. Wooden Award Ballot Voting Begins 🗳️

The 2024-25 Wooden Award women's national ballot is here, narrowing the field to the top 15 players in college basketball. Presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club and named after coaching legend John R. Wooden, this ballot determines the Wooden Award All-America Team and the prestigious Wooden Award Trophy, given annually to the nation’s top player.

📋 Who’s in the race for Player of the Year? See the full list of candidates here 👉 Wooden Award

WHY IT MATTERS: Voting runs from March 10 to March 24, allowing the Wooden Award National Advisory Board to weigh both regular-season performances and early NCAA Tournament play. This year’s Player of the Year race is razor-thin, featuring standouts like Paige Bueckers (UConn), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Madison Booker (Texas), and JuJu Watkins (USC)—and with March Madness around the corner, early tournament games could be the deciding factor in who takes home the honor.

2. JuJu Watkins Moves Up the All-Time Scoring List 📈

USC’s JuJu Watkins just added another milestone to her growing legacy. The sophomore phenom has passed Caitlin Clark for the most points scored in the first two seasons of an NCAA Division I career. With 1,684 points and counting, Watkins now sits second all-time, trailing only former Ohio State Buckeye Kelsey Mitchell. (March Madness Women’s Basketball)

WHY IT MATTERS: Watkins is in elite company. Both Clark and Mitchell went on to become all-time leading scorers, with Clark now holding the NCAA career record at 3,951 points. Averaging nearly 25 PPG, Watkins could not only break Mitchell’s two-season record but also put herself on track to chase down Clark’s all-time mark—especially if she leads USC deep into the postseason.

3. Unrivaled Playoff Bracket Is Set 🔒

Unrivaled’s inaugural regular season is a wrap, and the playoff bracket is officially locked. With the Mist’s loss on Monday night, Vinyl clinched the final postseason spot and will face No. 1 seed Lunar Owls in the semifinals this Sunday. (Unrivaled)

WHY IT MATTERS: Unrivaled has offered plenty of terrific basketball action, and the competition isn’t slowing down. It’s winner takes all, so expect high-intensity matchups with more than just bragging rights on the line. The champions will each take home $50,000 in prize money.

📺 Don’t miss it! Semifinals tip off March 16:

• Laces vs. Rose at 7:30 PM ET on TruTV/Max

• Vinyl vs. Lunar Owls at 7:30 PM ET on TruTV/Max