NEW YORK — Sarah Strong of UConn and Southern California guard Watkins, the last two national players of the year, top the preseason All-America women’s basketball team released Thursday by the national media panel.
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, Texas forward Madison Booker and Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes round out the five-player group, chosen by the same 31 voters who rank the weekly national poll.
Strong drew 30 of the 31 votes. Hidalgo and Booker had 28 each, Blakes 27 and Watkins 26. Hidalgo and Booker are preseason selections for a third straight season.
Strong is the reigning player of the year after a sophomore season of 18.4 points and 7.7 rebounds a game on 58.2% shooting, helping the Huskies back to the Final Four one year after their 12th national title. Watkins returns after sitting out all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL in her right knee, an injury that came during the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Hidalgo averaged 25.3 points, third in the country, with 5.6 steals. Booker contributed nearly 19 points, close to seven boards and almost four assists a night as Texas made a second consecutive Final Four.
Blakes topped Division I scorers at 27 a game, and her 918 total points broke the SEC record for one season, also an NCAA sophomore record. She is just the second Vanderbilt player chosen as a preseason All-American, and the first in 24 seasons, according to the school.
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