- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 372,381
- Reaction score
- 43
Welcome to March Madness, where all eyes are on the top players in the 2025 women's NCAA tournament.
Many people look forward to watching the country's best athletes hoop this year, including some incredible backcourt and frontcourt players. As the tournament rolls on, the questions will inevitably come. How's their defense? How's their offense? CAN THEY SHOOT A LOGO 3-POINTER? (Well, maybe not quite that question, but you know someone will think it and want to see it during the tournament.)
SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?
So, with this in mind, For The Win is looking at some of the most important players to watch, duo and trio-style. If you have questions about the top names in women's college basketball before the Big Dance, we'll likely address them here.
Here are the 13 key players to watch during March Madness:
Notre Dame is in trouble. Three ranked-matchup losses in the last five games? If you weren't panicking before, now is the time to feel very uneasy.
I'm not concerned about the Fighting Irish's early round matchups — I think they can handle those — but I'm worried about their ability to keep up against tougher ranked competition when they get further into the NCAA tournament. (That upset loss in the ACC tournament to Duke was a wake-up call.)
Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo have been in a slump on both sides of the ball, and guard Sonia Citron, usually the unsung hero of the bunch, has even started to look shaky. If the "big three" are off by any bit, the whole thing doesn't work, and Notre Dame, unfortunately, doesn't have enough productive bench depth to consistently take on the South Carolina, UConn and UCLA's of the world.
Many fans wonder: Can Madison Booker lead Texas to a championship?
First, we should not be asking that of such a young player. Second, she will need her floor general, Rori Harmon, to help, as will the rest of the team. Shay Holle? You're up. Taylor Jones? It's your time to shine. Texas looked awful against a banged-up LSU team during the SEC tournament. There were long stretches (minutes!) of scoreless time on the floor and just terrible shot selection overall. Much of that continued during a rout against South Carolina in the SEC championship.
I'll be honest: The Longhorns will not make it past the Sweet 16 if they can't find an offense quickly and are also getting unraveled defensively. As good as head coach Vic Schaefer is, he will need to find something sustainable BEFORE the NCAA tournament, and it starts with getting Booker and Harmon clicking and the rest of the team to follow suit.
LSU is another team fans should keep an eye on — though injuries aren't helping quell concerns.
LSU's schedule was pretty light for half of the season until it hit conference play. The Tigers didn't play many ranked opponents, and even then, the team struggled to get out of those games, often needing a comeback to win. Then, injuries hit, and the team's offense sputtered, becoming one rolling mess.
LSU has lost four out of its last seven games, and both guard Flau'jae Johnson and forward Aneesah Morrow missed time due to shin and foot injuries, leaving poor Mikaylah Williams to lead the pack. I'm not convinced that even if Flau'jae and Aneesah are healthy at the start of March Madness, LSU can pull off a national title run. Their bench has been struggling lately, and that just won't fly against deeper teams. If Kim Mulkey had tricks on getting the team national championship ready, now would be the time to pull them out.
How far NC State goes might depend on Aziaha James's health. James suffered a hip injury during the ACC tournament, and though she returned to play, the Wolfpack never really recovered.
If Aziaha can't play or is limited, how deep can Saniya Rivers take the team? An even better question becomes: Can Zoe Brooks replicate her lovely performance against Notre Dame again?
NC State was a Final Four team in 2024. Can it make it back?
Hailey Van Lith's redemption tour at TCU is going very well. She and teammate Sedona Prince recently helped lift the Horned Frogs to a Big 12 championship. Still, despite how well both have played, TCU has produced mixed results when faced with stiffer competition throughout the season (Kansas State, South Carolina, etc.).
It makes me wonder how much Van Lith and Prince would have to carry as the tournament progresses. Is this a situation where they both must put up 20 or more points to sustain the team? That doesn't feel like a recipe for success, and I'm concerned about placing that kind of pressure on the duo.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: March Madness players to watch in the 2025 NCAA tournament, including Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles
Continue reading...
Many people look forward to watching the country's best athletes hoop this year, including some incredible backcourt and frontcourt players. As the tournament rolls on, the questions will inevitably come. How's their defense? How's their offense? CAN THEY SHOOT A LOGO 3-POINTER? (Well, maybe not quite that question, but you know someone will think it and want to see it during the tournament.)
SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?
So, with this in mind, For The Win is looking at some of the most important players to watch, duo and trio-style. If you have questions about the top names in women's college basketball before the Big Dance, we'll likely address them here.
Here are the 13 key players to watch during March Madness:
Notre Dame: Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron
You must be registered for see images attach
Notre Dame is in trouble. Three ranked-matchup losses in the last five games? If you weren't panicking before, now is the time to feel very uneasy.
I'm not concerned about the Fighting Irish's early round matchups — I think they can handle those — but I'm worried about their ability to keep up against tougher ranked competition when they get further into the NCAA tournament. (That upset loss in the ACC tournament to Duke was a wake-up call.)
Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo have been in a slump on both sides of the ball, and guard Sonia Citron, usually the unsung hero of the bunch, has even started to look shaky. If the "big three" are off by any bit, the whole thing doesn't work, and Notre Dame, unfortunately, doesn't have enough productive bench depth to consistently take on the South Carolina, UConn and UCLA's of the world.
Texas: Madison Booker and Rori Harmon
You must be registered for see images attach
Many fans wonder: Can Madison Booker lead Texas to a championship?
First, we should not be asking that of such a young player. Second, she will need her floor general, Rori Harmon, to help, as will the rest of the team. Shay Holle? You're up. Taylor Jones? It's your time to shine. Texas looked awful against a banged-up LSU team during the SEC tournament. There were long stretches (minutes!) of scoreless time on the floor and just terrible shot selection overall. Much of that continued during a rout against South Carolina in the SEC championship.
I'll be honest: The Longhorns will not make it past the Sweet 16 if they can't find an offense quickly and are also getting unraveled defensively. As good as head coach Vic Schaefer is, he will need to find something sustainable BEFORE the NCAA tournament, and it starts with getting Booker and Harmon clicking and the rest of the team to follow suit.
LSU: Flau'jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams
You must be registered for see images
LSU is another team fans should keep an eye on — though injuries aren't helping quell concerns.
LSU's schedule was pretty light for half of the season until it hit conference play. The Tigers didn't play many ranked opponents, and even then, the team struggled to get out of those games, often needing a comeback to win. Then, injuries hit, and the team's offense sputtered, becoming one rolling mess.
LSU has lost four out of its last seven games, and both guard Flau'jae Johnson and forward Aneesah Morrow missed time due to shin and foot injuries, leaving poor Mikaylah Williams to lead the pack. I'm not convinced that even if Flau'jae and Aneesah are healthy at the start of March Madness, LSU can pull off a national title run. Their bench has been struggling lately, and that just won't fly against deeper teams. If Kim Mulkey had tricks on getting the team national championship ready, now would be the time to pull them out.
NC State: Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Zoe Brooks
You must be registered for see images attach
How far NC State goes might depend on Aziaha James's health. James suffered a hip injury during the ACC tournament, and though she returned to play, the Wolfpack never really recovered.
If Aziaha can't play or is limited, how deep can Saniya Rivers take the team? An even better question becomes: Can Zoe Brooks replicate her lovely performance against Notre Dame again?
NC State was a Final Four team in 2024. Can it make it back?
TCU: Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince
You must be registered for see images
Hailey Van Lith's redemption tour at TCU is going very well. She and teammate Sedona Prince recently helped lift the Horned Frogs to a Big 12 championship. Still, despite how well both have played, TCU has produced mixed results when faced with stiffer competition throughout the season (Kansas State, South Carolina, etc.).
It makes me wonder how much Van Lith and Prince would have to carry as the tournament progresses. Is this a situation where they both must put up 20 or more points to sustain the team? That doesn't feel like a recipe for success, and I'm concerned about placing that kind of pressure on the duo.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: March Madness players to watch in the 2025 NCAA tournament, including Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles
Continue reading...
