Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles, Azzi Fudd Headline Naismith Player of the Year Watch List

UCLA center Lauren Betts, TCU guard Olivia Miles and UConn guard Azzi Fudd are among the headliners in the preseason watch list for the Naismith Women's College Player of the Year.

The field figures to be wide open with 2021 winner Paige Bueckers plying her trade in the WNBA and USC star JuJu Watkins, last year's recipient, recovering from a torn ACL.

Betts, Miles and Fudd were all among the top four picks in the newest 2026 WNBA mock draft from Bleacher Report's Rachel Galligan.

Betts averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 2024-25 as the Bruins made the Final Four for the first time in program history. UCLA also claimed a Big Ten tournament title, beating Watkins and the Trojans in the final.

Miles sent shockwaves across women's basketball when she left Notre Dame for TCU. She also spurned the chance to jump to the pros and could potentially have been a top-four selection after scoring 15.4 points and dishing out 5.8 assists per game.

With Bueckers' graduation, there's a bit of a power vacuum in Storrs as head coach Geno Auriemma looks for a new lead star on the floor. Either Fudd or teammate Sarah Strong is poised to claim that honor.

Fudd peaked in the NCAA tournament, averaging 17.5 points and shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc as the UConn captured a 12th national title. Strong was a model of consistency from start to finish. She shot 58.6 percent from the floor while putting up 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a freshman.

Among the other Naismith contenders, Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo could put up stronger numbers now that she's no longer sharing a backcourt with Miles. A two-time All-American, she was fifth in scoring (23.8) as a sophomore while leading the ACC in steals (3.7).

Ta'Niya Latson might've been an even bigger blockbuster transfer than Miles when she swapped Florida State for South Carolina. The Division I leading scorer in 2024-25 at 25.2 points, the senior guard could vault to the top of the Naismith race if she's pouring in 20-plus points per game for a Gamecocks squad that's poised for another Final Four run.