JuJu Watkins of the University of Southern California and Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame have joined an elite group, making the AP All-America women’s college basketball team in their first two seasons.
The duo are only the third and fourth players to earn All-America first-team honors in their freshman and sophomore years, joining Courtney Paris, who was honored in 2006 and 2007 to cap her first two seasons at Oklahoma, and Maya Moore, whose selections as an underclassman came at the University of Connecticut in 2008 and 2009.
Watkins was a unanimous choice in voting, released Wednesday, from the 31-member national media panel that chooses the AP Top 25 poll each week. Hidalgo received all but two first-place votes.
UConn fifth-year senior Paige Bueckers is an All-American for the third time, becoming just the 12th player to do that. UCLA junior Lauren Betts and Texas sophomore Madison Booker rounded out the first team.
Betts and Bueckers were also unanimous choices.
Watkins led USC to the Big Ten regular-season title, the school’s first conference championship since 1994. She has averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season for the Trojans.
“She set her own bar so high last year, and then she managed to surpass it,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “She has the ability to lock in and get to a zone, raise her own level and galvanize those around her. Above all else, she’s a winner.”
Hidalgo has been dominant on both ends of the floor for the Fighting Irish. She earned both ACC player of the year and defensive player of the year honors and has per-game averages of 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 steals. She’s fourth in the country in steals a year after leading in that category.
“What a well-deserved honor for Hannah. To be one of just four players to ever make the AP All-America first team in both of their first seasons is a major accomplishment,” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said. “I’m so proud of her and I can’t wait to see what she does in March.”
Bueckers had another strong season for the Huskies as she averaged 19.0 points, 4.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds. She guided UConn to another undefeated Big East season and is the expected No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft next month.
“She makes it look like it is never hard and never a struggle to get her points and get the shots off she wants,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said.
Betts averaged 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and shot 63.4% from the field. She also was fifth in the country with her average of 2.93 blocks a game. She’s the first player in UCLA history to be an All-America first-team pick.
“Lauren Betts has been dominant from start to finish on both ends of the floor,” Bruins coach Cori Close said. “She continues to grow her versatility and her skill set and his is the deserved fruit of her labor. This is first an individual accomplishment for Lauren, but it is also a team accomplishment. So proud of it all!”
Booker, who was an All-America second-team honoree last spring, averaged 16.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Longhorns, who shared the SEC regular-season title with reigning NCAA tournament champion South Carolina.
“To be preseason (All-American) and then to go live it, getting everybody’s best shot, and you’re the first person talked about in the scouting report, that’s the most difficult thing to do. She did it,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said.
Booker, Bueckers, Hidalgo and Watkins were all on the preseason AP All-America team, where they were joined by USC’s Kiki Iriafen.
The AP All-America second team Wednesday was headlined by LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, who led the nation in rebounds with an average of 13.6 a game. She was joined by UConn’s Sarah Strong, Florida State’s Ta’niya Latson, Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore.
The AP third team was Iriafen, TCU’s Hailey Van Lith, who was the Big 12 player of the year, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson and Iowa State’s Audi Crooks.
Raegan Beers of Oklahoma, Sedona Prince of TCU and Joyce Edwards of South Carolina were the leading vote recipients among players who didn’t make the three All-America teams. Players earned honorable mention if they appeared on one of the ballots.
AP photo by Ben McKeown / Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo handles the ball as Duke’s Delaney Thomas defends during an ACC tournament semifinal on March 8 in Greensboro, N.C.AP ALL-AMERICA
Women’s college basketball honorees for the 2024-25 season with per-game averages through conference tournaments.
FIRST TEAM
JuJu Watkins, USC, sophomore; Los Angeles: 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists (31 first-place votes, 155 points).
Paige Bueckers, UConn, senior, Hopkins, Minnesota: 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists (31, 155).
Lauren Betts, UCLA, junior; Centennial, Colorado; 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 63.4% field-goal shooting (31, 155).
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame, sophomore; Merchantville, New Jersey: 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists (29, 151).
Madison Booker, Texas, sophomore; Ridgeland, Mississippi: 16.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists (14, 121).
SECOND TEAM
Aneesah Morrow, LSU, senior; Chicago, Illinois: 18.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 49.5% field-goal shooting (14, 119).
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State, junior; Miami, Florida: 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists (1, 84).
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame, senior; Phillipsburg, New Jersey: 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists (1, 69).
Sarah Strong, UConn, freshman; 16.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 57.5 field goal% (1, 63).
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky, senior; Ballarat, Victoria: 19.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists (0, 47).
THIRD TEAM
Hailey Van Lith, TCU, senior; Wenatchee, Washington: 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists (0, 40).
Kiki Iriafen, USC, senior; Los Angeles: 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 49.9 field goal% (1, 38).
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt, freshman; Somerset, New Jersey: 23.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists (0, 34).
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU, junior; Savannah, Georgia: 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 46.5 field goal% (0, 25).
Audi Crooks, Iowa State, sophomore; Algona, Iowa: 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 60.2 field goal% (0, 24).
HONORABLE MENTION
Alphabetical order by player’s last name: Raegan Beers, Oklahoma; Sonia Citron, Notre Dame; Katie Dinnebier, Drake; Joyce Edwards, South Carolina; Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga; MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina; Rori Harmon, Texas; Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas; Aziaha James, N.C. State; Lauren Jensen, Creighton; Taylor Jones, Texas; Chloe Kitts, South Carolina; Ayoka Lee, Kansas State; Cotie McMahon, Ohio State; Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina; Sedona Prince, TCU; JJ Quinerly, West Virginia; Kiki Rice, UCLA; Shyanne Sellers, Maryland; Serena Sundell, Kansas State; Makayla Timpson, Florida State; Harmoni Turner, Harvard; Mikayla Williams, LSU.