On3's women's basketball National Player of the Year front runners

The race for National Player of the Year is on and there are several players in the running. Here are On3’s front runners for NPOY honors in women’s basketball.

1. Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo has proven to be the best player in women’s college basketball so far this season – and very few people are disputing that. 

She’s averaging 25.7 points, six rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.1 steals for the No. 3 team in the country, while shooting 50% from the field and 46% from deep. She’s had massive performances against No. 4 Texas, No. 5 USC, No. 6 TCU, No. 9 UConn and No. 17 North Carolina. 

Her versatility, intensity and high-level outings against top teams make her the current front runner for National Player of the Year honors. 

2. JuJu Watkins – USC

JuJu Watkins, the other sophomore sensation, has continued her dominance this season for a top-ranked USC squad in a new conference. 

Watkins is averaging 25.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.9 blocks. Her efficiency and turnover rate have decreased from her rookie campaign but still leave room for improvement. Regardless, she’s one of the biggest names in the sport and one of the most dynamic players in the country. 

She’s put up big numbers against No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 6 Maryland and No. 9 UConn this year. While Hidalgo leads, USC’s potential Big Ten resume leaves plenty of opportunity for Watkins to earn NPOY honors. 

3. Paige Bueckers – UConn

Paige Bueckers entered the season as the favorite to win NPOY this year. While the odds have decreased, she’s certainly still in the race.

Bueckers is averaging 19.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, four assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 56% from the field and 40% from deep. She had a midseason stretch where she didn’t quite look like herself but has put up noteworthy performances against No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 5 USC, No. 17 North Carolina and Iowa State.

4. Ta’Niya Latson – Florida State

It’s not often that the country’s leading scorer is underrated and rarely talked about on a national scale, but that seems to be the case for Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson. She hasn’t accumulated quite the same caliber of resume this year, but the 5-foot-8 junior guard is a game-changer. 

Latson is averaging 26.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 steals for the fringe top 25 Seminoles, while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from deep. 

5. Lauren Betts – UCLA

Lauren Betts is the lone post player on this list, and she’s earned the spot. She’s been a major contributor for UCLA, one of three remaining undefeated teams. 

Betts is averaging 19.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 blocks while shooting 62% from the field. Even among increased post depth in Timea Gardiner and Janiah Barker, Betts is dominant. 

She’s had major performances against No. 2 South Carolina, Louisville, Nebraska and Indiana.