Ranking the 10 Most Underrated Women's College Basketball Players Right Now
Women's college basketball has blown up nationally over the past two seasons, but make no mistake: The game has been good for far longer. It's not easy to keep up with the goings on of 300-plus Division 1 teams, but we've got you covered.
What qualifies as "being underrated"? Is there something tangible? Does it have to do with visibility? Why does a game go under-noticed? It's a mix of the latter two, as availability of watchable games is hit-or-miss across the board, depending on conference, but also, some play styles just don't get their deserved credit.
To break down some of the top underrated players in the game, we'll form a frame with the Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason and Top 25 Midseason lists, as we're only including players who didn't make the cut for either. If you made either list, you could well still be "underrated," but we need some level of objectivity as a baseline.
Impacting winning is a heavily valued part of makes a player underrated. If your team is en route to the NCAA tournament and you're playing a key part in it, that matters greatly.
These 10 players have had significant seasons both individually and from a team impact standpoint.
10. Stailee Heard, G/F, Oklahoma St.
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Why She's Underrated: Rebuilding Program
Oklahoma State has been one of the surprise stories of the 2024-25 season, with the Cowgirls showing themselves to be a true contender in the realigned Big 12 and a likely NCAA tournament team.
While the Cowgirls had a down season last year, finishing 14-16, there was some exciting growth and youth on the roster, particularly from freshman wing Stailee Heard. She has a special knack for doing, well, everything. Versatility is the name of the game, and Heard brings that in droves.
The now-sophomore leads Oklahoma State in:
- Free throws made (2.5 per game) and attempted (3.5)
- Offensive (1.8) and defensive rebounding (6.3)
- Steals (1.6)
- Scoring (15.0)
She does all that while also moving the ball well in head coach Jacie Hoyt's egalitarian and well-balanced offense. Oh, and she's shooting the leather off the ball at 45.3 percent from deep on high volume. It's understandable if you weren't aware of Heard's game last season, but there's no excuse this year as she's rounding into one of the best players in a power conference.
9. Angela Dugalic, F, UCLA
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Why She's Underrated: Stacked Team
The top-ranked Bruins boast a multitude of stars but also the deepest team in college basketball. Angela Dugalic personifies the way in which this UCLA roster has been built.
She is tall like a center at 6'4", but versatile and capable of playing every position in the frontcourt. She's a tremendous defender, first on the team in steals (1.9 per game) and second in blocks (0.8), but routinely makes subtle plays outside the box score with her nimble feet and positioning.
Offensively, she's having the best shooting season of her collegiate career from the field (50.5 percent) and from beyond the arc (36.4). She's demonstrative on the glass, a strong playmaker for a forward, and just makes winning plays, unlocking a multitude of lineups for Cori Close's team.
Dugalic performed well at the Paris Olympics with the Serbian national team and could slot in nicely as a role player in the WNBA this coming summer.
8. Amarachi Kimpson, G, UNLV
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Why She's Underrated: New Role
The UNLV Rebels have solidified themselves as a top mid-major over the past few seasons under Lindy La Rocque, including back-to-back 30-plus-win seasons and three straight trips to the NCAA tournament.
However, two-time Mountain West Player of the Year Desi-Rae Young moved on to the WNBA after this past season, and UNLV returned just half of its minutes played from a year ago.
Enter Amarachi Kimpson. The 2024 MWC Sixth Player of the Year has improved in a big way, now leading the Rebels in scoring with 14.0 points per game. What makes Kimpson so impressive is her sheer versatility.
She is 5'8" but scores with the ease of a frontcourt player at the rim, shooting 62.3 percent on layups, per Synergy Sports. She's a smooth operator in the pick-and-roll and blazing from the midrange, where she shoots well over 50 percent on jumpers. She also possesses soft touch on floaters/runners and has the acumen for and is growing into her own as a facilitator.
UNLV is a threat to win games in March yet again, and Kimpson is a significant reason why.
7. Sayvia Sellers, G, Washington
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Why She's Underrated: Sophomore Leap
Sayvia Sellers had a quality freshman season for Washington, making the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and playing a key role for a squad that played postseason basketball. However, she's emerged as one of the best guards in the Big Ten during the 2024-25 season and should absolutely be in contention for All-League honors.
Prior to this season, the Huskies made an offensive shift, transitioning from a more grind-out, slower-paced Princeton offense to a ball-screen-heavy pace-and-space system. Sellers has thrived, and the Huskies rank as the 49th-best offense in the country as opposed to 131st last season.
Of the 190 players in Division 1 who have run at least 100 pick-and-rolls this season, Sellers ranks sixth nationally in efficiency, a staggering mark. For added reference, she's neck-and-neck with USC star JuJu Watkins for first in the Big Ten, ranking just behind her.
Sellers gets after it on defense, rarely takes a bad shot and continues to elevate as a playmaker (nearly 5.0 assists per game in league play). Watch out for Washington.
6. Amaya Battle, G, Minnesota
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Why She's Underrated: Rebuilding Program
Amaya Battle just keeps getting better every season as her Minnesota Golden Gophers do the same. In spite of fellow star guard Mara Braun's early-season injury, the Gophers have thrived and even spent some time in the AP Top 25.
Battle is the consummate point guard, excelling at directing the offense in the half court and conducting tempo in transition. She's also rounded out her game, expanding her range to become a quality three-point shooter. She's made more threes (21) in half a season than she did her entire first two years combined (15), and her confidence in letting it fly has been key in opening up her court vision further.
It also shouldn't be lost that Battle is among the best perimeter defenders in the Big Ten. A tall guard at 5'11", she's quick and plays on the balls of her feet, looking to make plays while hounding the best player on the opposing team, or blow up plays off the ball.
Her play has the Gophers looking to March for the first time since 2017-18.
5. Ioanna Krimili, G, California
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Why She's Underrated: Mid-Major Transfer/Pac-12 Was Impossible to Watch
The Cal Golden Bears play one of the most exciting brands of basketball in the country, are top-10 nationally in three-point attempts and makes, and thrive with ball and player movement. Ioanna Krimili, originally a star at mid-major San Francisco, flew under the radar for a decent Cal team last season.
However, now more visible in the ACC and on one of the best teams in the country (Cal is three victories away from tying last season's win total…at the midway point!) Krimili's game is on full display. She leads the ACC in three-point field goals made and attempted, her deep prowess the significant allure to her game and standout skill.
So much of what's made Cal's offense work this year is the ability to score efficiently even when a play breaks down. Krimili is shooting 35.6 percent on off-the-dribble threes, per Synergy Sports, ranking in the 92nd percentile of efficiency in the country, while taking more of those shots beyond the arc than most. She also has a knack for pulling off flashy dimes, and routinely makes plays that keep the Golden Bears humming along.
4. Maria Gakdeng, F, North Carolina
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Why She's Underrated: Team Depth
The North Carolina Tar Heels routinely roll out an 11-player rotation, with no player averaging 30 minutes per game on the roster. If you're not watching the games closely and just perusing the box score, you miss out on just how much a player is actually impacting the action.
Maria Gakdeng has played the most dominant basketball of her career since getting right from an early-season injury. In Carolina's win over Kentucky, Gakdeng was the best big on the court, feasting on the glass and in the post while also wreaking havoc on defense. Foul trouble was an issue at times in past seasons, but she's found an additional level of poise as a senior, and Courtney Banghart's squad is better for it.
Gakdeng is a paragon of efficiency, leading the ACC in field-goal percentage last season at 62.6 percent from the field. She's lapping that this season, shooting a shocking 68.9 percent from the floor, which ranks ninth nationally from inside the arc. She's also fourth in the ACC in block percentage.
When Gakdeng is on the floor, good things happen for the Tar Heels.
3. Talaysia Cooper, G, Tennessee
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Why She's Underrated: Breakout Season
In Talaysia Cooper's first full year with the Tennessee Volunteers on the court, she's putting together a special campaign.
Cooper has taken the reins of Kim Caldwell's new offense and has turned into one of the most deadly scorers in the SEC. At 6'0" with a crafty handle, she is incredibly difficult to keep from getting to the rim but is also lights-out in the mid-range. It's rare to see players Cooper's size who blend skill and effectiveness so well.
That's without even mentioning that she's been the tip of the spear of Tennessee's all-out pressing attack on defense, forcing the second-highest turnover rate in the country as a team. Cooper herself is averaging an SEC-leading 3.6 steals per game.
Tennessee is entering a new era with a roar, and Cooper has firmly cemented herself as one of the budding stars in the sport.
2. Tonie Morgan, G, Georgia Tech
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Why She's Underrated: Rebuilding Program
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets finished the 2023-24 season at 17-16 but were much more than meets the eye. Throughout the season, they flashed potential for more, including an overtime wire-to-wire game against eventual Final Four team North Carolina State.
Just one starter last season was a junior or senior, and only three of the top eight rotation players were as well.
Tonie Morgan has come into her own as a junior, building upon the potential she showed during her first two seasons. She's refined her game as a decision-maker, cutting down her turnovers substantially—from 3.8 to 2.1 per game—which has allowed her playmaking to shine even brighter on one of the best offenses in basketball. Morgan's also made strides defensively along with this entire team as they've matured.
Morgan is one of the most dynamic finishers in the game, capable of pulling out some breathtaking rim attacks and finishing with the efficiency of players half a foot taller. She possesses one of the best handles in the ACC—and the country—and her play has Georgia Tech in the mix of conference contention.
1. Serena Sundell, G, Kansas St.
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Why She's Underrated: Deep Roster
Serena Sundell has a real case as the second-best playmaker in college basketball behind Notre Dame's Olivia Miles. Sundell leads the country with 7.6 assists per game, as her Kansas State Wildcats maintain the best offensive rating in the nation.
She plays alongside one of the best players in the country, Ayoka Lee, and their two-player game has formed the foundation of a team with the potential to make the final weekend of the NCAA tournament.
The Wildcats typically play at a slower pace, but when they do get out and run, you see Sundell's vision and craftiness with the ball kick into their highest gear. In the half court, she steadies the ship and runs with precision. It's subtle, but there's so much intentionality in every pass she delivers as she tweaks angles, releases and velocity depending on time and who she's passing to. She's remarkably quick at reading the floor and making the right play.
She's also remarkably efficient with the basketball, capable of using her 6'2" frame to score over smaller defenders at the guard spot or her quickness to beat taller defenders. Sundell's no slouch on the defensive end, either, as she's heady off the ball and always getting into the mix with her length.
Statistics accurate heading into play Thursday, Jan 16.
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