JuJu Watkins Headlines 2025 Naismith Women's College Player of the Year Finalists

The emerging rivalry between USC's JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo will add another chapter with the two stars among the finalists for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's College Player of the Year Award.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers and UCLA center Lauren Betts fill out the list.

Watkins and Hidalgo faced off earlier this year, with the latter getting the better of the former. They each scored 24 points, but the Fighting Irish were 74-61 winners on the road against the Trojans in Los Angeles.

When it comes to the Naismith winner, Watkins might come out on top this time around.

Entering the NCAA tournament, USC (No. 4) ranked four spots ahead of Notre Dame (No. 8) in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll.

In terms of individual production, Watkins arguably has a narrow edge on Hidalgo, too.

The 6'2" guard had been second in Division I in scoring before her injury in Monday's 96-59 victory over Mississippi State brought her average down to 23.9 points. She'll miss the remainder of the tournament and likely a portion of the 2025-26 season after tearing her ACL, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

In addition to her impressive scoring output, Watkins averaged 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks.

Hidalgo, meanwhile, is putting up 24.1 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting, including 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. She's also leading the ACC in steals (3.7) while dishing out 3.7 assists.

Both Watkins and Hidalgo can make a compelling Naismith case. They're dynamic two-way stars, pouring in points at a high volume while doing enough to warrant being finalists for Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year.

Between the two, USC's 28-3 record in the regular-season and first-place finish in the Big Ten standings could catapult Watkins over Hidalgo.

Betts is another finalist for the Naismith DPOY award. She has swatted a Big Ten-high 2.9 shots per contest while almost averaging a double-double (19.7 points and 9.7 rebounds) for the second straight season.

The 6'7" big is shooting 64.3 percent from the floor as well. Opposing teams have had no answer for her in the post.

Having already confirmed she'll be back for her senior year, Betts is the early favorite for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft.

When it comes to the 2025 draft, that honor belongs to Bueckers, who's having another prolific campaign with the Huskies. She's averaging 19.2 points and her 64.0 percent true shooting rate is a personal best, per Sports Reference.

Just as impressively, the UConn star is distributing more assists (6.5) with fewer turnovers (1.7) than ever.

Losing out on another Naismith Player of the Year Award will be a disappointment for Bueckers, but she has already received every major individual honor a college standout can.

Winning a national championship is her top priority and that's the one thing that will bring a sense of completion to a historic career.