Who is the next star in women’s college basketball?
This past season’s rookie class provided a few possible answers.
While most of the eyeballs on the sport were glued — and for good reason — to the likes of USC’s JuJu Watkins, UConn’s Paige Bueckers, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and TCU’s Hailey Van Lith, there were a few freshmen that stood out and helped their teams reach new heights. Some of them just started to scratch the surface on what their potentials could be, while others piled up accolades, produced eye-popping stats or helped their squads win big.
Michigan is an example of a team with a really bright future as it had three standout rookies this past season — Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mia Holloway — all of whom will be back for the Wolverines as sophomores. Collectively, the trio averaged 42.1 points, 14.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game.
Others, like Gal Raviv, won’t be returning to the school where they spent their rookie season. After averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists at Quinnipiac this year, the 5-foot-9 guard from Israel will test her skills in the ACC after transferring to Miami.
As we barrel toward the 2025-26 season, let’s reflect on what a handful of players accomplished as rookies and think about what they might be able to do next.
These are the sophomores you need to pay attention to heading into next season.
Kourtney Grossman, Eastern Washington
Amongst all freshmen across the country last season, Grossman was the only one to average a double-double, posting 10.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She was fifth nationally in defensive rebounding, grabbing 8.5 of the other team’s misses per game. For her efforts, the 6-foot-1 forward from Billings, Montana, was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year. Eastern Washington finished with just a 9-20 record, but Grossman looks like a player the program can build around for years to come.
Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State
McMiller entered college with a ton of hype, ranked as a five-star prospect and one of the top 30 players in the 2024 class by ESPN. She was a Jordan Brand All-American and flashed some of her potential as a rookie at Rutgers, notching three double-doubles and scoring 25 points or more in a single game six times. But a mid-season suspension turned McMiller’s freshman season into a rocky one. She entered the transfer portal with suitors from several major programs and ultimately ended up at Penn State. The Nittany Lions went 10-19 last season and won just one game in Big Ten play. They’re hoping McMiller will lead them to many more victories.
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova
The 5-foot-7 Canadian guard was one of the best freshmen in the Big East this past season and helped power Villanova to an appearance in the WBIT semifinals. Bascoe was one of just two freshmen nationally who made at least 2.5 free throws per game and shot north of 85 percent from the charity stripe for the season. She averaged 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Wildcats, doing a little bit of everything pretty well.
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
A 5-foot-7 guard from Nashville, Tennessee, Cambridge started in all 29 games she played in this past season for the Buckeyes, averaging 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game. She was named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year and had a handful of standout performances, like when she tallied 33 points and five assists in a February win over Michigan State.
Allie Turner, Gonzaga
Named an honorable mention All-American by the WBCA, there were few shooters as good as Turner this past season. She led all freshmen — and was 11th nationally — in 3-pointers made per game with 3.0. Her 45.7 percent success rate from behind the arc was 17th nationally, and she also averaged 3.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. With Turner’s help, Gonzaga made the quarterfinals of the WBIT.
Delaney Gibb, BYU
The Big 12 Freshman of the Year did everything for the Cougars this past season, averaging 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from behind the arc. A 5-foot-10 guard from Canada, Gibb will be a player BYU can build around for the next few seasons.
Toby Fournier, Duke
The 6-foot-2 Canadian forward — famous for her viral dunking highlights on social media — helped the Blue Devils win the ACC Tournament and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013 this past season. She was named ACC Rookie of the Year while averaging 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. Fournier also shot 52.6 percent from the floor and ranked 34th nationally in PER.
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
The winner of the USBWA’s Tamika Catchings Award for the nation’s best freshman, Blakes was absolutely box office this season and put Vanderbilt on the map. She led all freshmen — and was eighth nationally amongst all players — in scoring this season with 23.3 points per game. Since 2009, Blakes is the only player to score 50 points in a game twice as a freshman. With Blakes leading the way, the Commodores expect to be contending at the top of the SEC for the next few seasons.
Sarah Strong, UConn
Nevermind the freshman designation — Strong was one of the best players in the country this season and a major reason why UConn was able to beat South Carolina and win its 12th national championship. Tabbed as the best recruit in the 2024 class, Strong lived up to the hype by averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. In any given game, Strong could be UConn’s best scorer, rebounder, passer and defender.
A complete package of a player, Strong ranked third in the nation in shooting percentage inside the arc, making 68.3 percent of her shots from 2-point range. She also led the nation in win shares (9.3) and defensive rating (64.9). With Strong in the lineup, the Huskies expect to compete for a national championship again.
