The Big Ten is in search of its next superstar after Caitlin Clark's graduation, and it has quite the cast, including University of Wisconsin women's basketball junior Serah Williams, to carry forward the sport's growth.
Williams was the lone returning player to have won an individual award after she was named last season's defensive player of the year. She was one of four returning first-team selections, joined by Ohio State's Cotie McMahon, Nebraska's Alexis Markowski and Maryland's Shyanne Sellers.
Williams, a 6-foot-4 forward, averaged 17.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game with 84 blocks and 23 steals across 29 starts. The Badgers were 15-17 and 6-12 in Big Ten Conference play as they finished 10th for a second straight season.
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However, Williams' season was cut short in the Great Eight game of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. She suffered a knee injury in the first minute of the 65-60 loss to St. Louis. Williams did recover in time to represent the U.S. in the 3x3 Nations League Americas Conference in July.
But Big Ten expansion brought arguably the best player in women's college basketball in Southern Cal sophomore JuJu Watkins. The 19-year-old was a first team All-American and set the country's scoring record for a freshman with 920 points. Watkins, a 6-2 guard, averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game as the Trojans went 29-6, won the Pac-12 Tournament and reached the Elite Eight.
Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket past UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the first half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the women's NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
The awards list recognizing Watkins is long and the highlight may have been winning the ESPY for "Best Breakthrough Athlete." Her scoring average was second only to Clark, and she set a USC scoring record with 51 points in a road upset of Stanford.
Watkins was voted both by the coaches and a panel of media as the preseason player of the year. Southern Cal was also the unanimous pick to win the league, followed by UCLA, Ohio State, Maryland and Indiana in both polls. Teammate Kiki Iriafen was also a preseason all-Big Ten pick by both media and coaches.
Fellow newcomer UCLA returns its core after it went 27-7 and lost to LSU in the Sweet 16. Juniors Kiki Rice and Lauren Betts were preseason all-Big Ten picks and are part of a starring class that includes Gabriela Jaquez and Londynn Jones returning. Rice, a 5-11 guard, averaged 13.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Betts, a 6-7 center, averaged 14.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and added 59 blocks. Jaquez is the sister of Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Iowa added Lucy Olsen through the transfer portal from Villanova. Olsen, a 5-9 guard, brings a different style than what Clark did for the Hawkeyes. But she had a breakthrough season as a junior in which she averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She increased her scoring average by 10.9 points per contest.
Olsen and junior forward Hannah Stuelke were preseason all-Big Ten picks for first-year coach Jan Jensen. Lisa Bluder retired and her longtime assistant was tabbed to take over, which kept together a returning core and recruiting class that included McFarland's Teagan Mallegni and Verona's Taylor Stremlow.
League returnees in McMahon, Markoski and Sellers were named to both preseason teams. The lone addition to the coaches' picks was Illinois fifth-year guard Makira Cook.
