South Carolina women's basketball trio makes Naismith watch list
On Monday, three South Carolina women’s basketball stars found themselves on a major preseason watch list. The 2024-2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year dropped around lunchtime. 50 players from all over the country make up the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list. For the Gamecocks, the watch list includes a trio of guards. Just like the preseason All-SEC teams, Te-Hina Paopao, Raven Johnson, and MiLaysia Fulwiley received the honor.
All of the Naismith Awards (including the Naismith Trophy) will release updated watch lists at various points of the season. The Naismith Trophy will go to the nation’s top player during the Final Four. Previously, both A’ja Wilson (2017-2018) and Aliyah Boston (2021-2022) won the honor for South Carolina. Boston won the award during a National Championship season, as well.
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This year, USC joins Southern Cal, UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas, and LSU as the only teams with three players on the preseason watch list. South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and her team are the championship favorites, but the other five teams mentioned will be some of their biggest competition this season; as six of the best teams in the sport this year, their rosters make up 19 of the 50 preseason selections.
14 players on the list are from SEC schools. That number ties the BIG Ten for the most from a single conference. The Gamecocks will play 22 of the 50 players on the watch list during the regular season.
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The entire 2024-2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year preseason watch list from the Naismith Awards press release is listed below:
| LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | FULL NAME | CLASS | POS | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amoore | Georgia | Georgia Amoore | Graduate Student | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Andrews | Sarah | Sarah Andrews | Graduate Student | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Barker | Sarah Ashlee | Sarah Ashlee Barker | Graduate Student | G | Alabama | SEC |
| Beers | Raegan | Raegan Beers | Junior | C | Oklahoma | SEC |
| Betts | Lauren | Lauren Betts | Junior | C | UCLA | Big Ten |
| Booker | Madison | Madison Booker | Sophomore | F | Texas | SEC |
| Bueckers | Paige | Paige Bueckers | Senior | G | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Citron | Sonia | Sonia Citron | Senior | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Cook | Makira | Makira Cook | Fifth Year | G | Illinois | Big Ten |
| Crooks | Audi | Audi Crooks | Sophomore | C | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Ejim | Yvonne | Yvonne Ejim | Fifth Year | F | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Fudd | Azzi | Azzi Fudd | Junior | G | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Fulwiley | MiLaysia | MiLaysia Fulwiley | Sophomore | G | South Carolina | SEC |
| Harmon | Rori | Rori Harmon | Senior | G | Texas | SEC |
| Hidalgo | Hannah | Hannah Hidalgo | Sophomore | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Iriafen | Kiki | Kiki Iriafen | Graduate Student | F | USC | Big Ten |
| James | Aziaha | Aziaha James | Senior | G | NC State | ACC |
| Jensen | Lauren | Lauren Jensen | Senior | G | Creighton | BIG EAST |
| Johnson | Flau’jae | Flau’jae Johnson | Junior | G | LSU | SEC |
| Johnson | Raven | Raven Johnson | Junior | G | South Carolina | SEC |
| Kelly | Deja | Deja Kelly | Graduate Student | G | Oregon | Big Ten |
| Kneepkens | Gianna | Gianna Kneepkens | Junior | G | Utah | Big 12 |
| Latson | Ta’Niya | Ta’Niya Latson | Junior | G | Florida State | ACC |
| Lee | Ayoka | Ayoka Lee | Graduate Student | C | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Leger-Walker | Charlisse | Charlisse Leger-Walker | Graduate Student | G | UCLA | Big Ten |
| Markowski | Alexis | Alexis Markowski | Senior | C/F | Nebraska | Big Ten |
| Marshall | Rayah | Rayah Marshall | Senior | C/F | USC | Big Ten |
| McMahon | Cotie | Cotie McMahon | Junior | F | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Miles | Olivia | Olivia Miles | Graduate Student | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Morrow | Aneesah | Aneesah Morrow | Senior | F | LSU | SEC |
| Nichols | S’Mya | S’Mya Nichols | Sophomore | G | Kansas | Big 12 |
| Olsen | Lucy | Lucy Olsen | Senior | G | Iowa | Big Ten |
| Paopao | Te-Hina | Te-Hina Paopao | Senior | G | South Carolina | SEC |
| Phelia | Laila | Laila Phelia | Senior | G | Texas | SEC |
| Quinerly | JJ | JJ Quinerly | Senior | G | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Rice | Kiki | Kiki Rice | Junior | G | UCLA | Big Ten |
| Richardson | Reigan | Reigan Richardson | Senior | G | Duke | ACC |
| Rivers | Saniya | Saniya Rivers | Senior | G | NC State | ACC |
| Ryan | Emily | Emily Ryan | Senior | G | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Scott | Madison | Madison Scott | Graduate Student | PG/F | Ole Miss | SEC |
| Sellers | Shyanne | Shyanne Sellers | Senior | G | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Stuelke | Hannah | Hannah Stuelke | Junior | F | Iowa | Big Ten |
| Sundell | Serena | Serena Sundell | Senior | G | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Timpson | Makayla | Makayla Timpson | Senior | F | Florida State | ACC |
| Ustby | Alyssa | Alyssa Ustby | Graduate Student | G/F | North Carolina | ACC |
| Van Lith | Hailey | Hailey Van Lith | Graduate Student | G | TCU | Big 12 |
| Vann | Skylar | Skylar Vann | Senior | F | Oklahoma | SEC |
| von Oelhoffen | Talia | Talia von Oelhoffen | Graduate Student | G | USC | Big Ten |
| Watkins | JuJu | JuJu Watkins | Sophomore | G | USC | Big Ten |
| Williams | Mikaylah | Mikaylah Williams | Sophomore | G | LSU | SEC |
