During the offseason, Paige Bueckers spent part of her summer touring the world and making appearances at NFL games and other popular spots. But the UConn star also said she used her first injury-free offseason to enhance her game.
Finally healthy, Bueckers' return to women's college basketball has set up an epic battle with USC star JuJu Watkins for every top honor in the sport this season.
Bueckers, who won the Wooden Award in 2021, and Watkins, a first-team Associated Press All-American last year after she averaged 27.0 points per game as a freshman, headline this season's Wooden Award preseason top 50 watch list, which was announced Thursday.
Other stars selected include LSU's Flau'jae Johnson, South Carolina's Te-Hina Paopao and TCU transfer Hailey Van Lith.
The Wooden Award watch list also highlights the next generation of women's basketball stars after Caitlin Clark moved on to the WNBA after winning the honor in both 2023 and '24.
Bueckers and Watkins are more than equipped to carry the torch. A national championship battle between Bueckers' UConn team and Watkins' USC squad is possible.
But, fortunately for women's basketball fans, a matchup between the teams will happen next month, as the Huskies will face the Trojans on Dec. 21 in a nonconference battle in Hartford, Connecticut, that has been sold out for months.
