JuJu Watkins, Sarah Strong Headline 2026 Women's AP Preseason All-America Team

Members of the women's college basketball media are expecting a return to form from USC star JuJu Watkins.

Watkins, who missed all of 2025-26 due to a torn ACL, was one of five players selected for the Associated Press' preseason All-America team. UConn's Sarah Strong, the reigning national player of the year, was a near-consensus pick with 30 out of 31 votes.

AP Preseason All-America Team

• Mikayla Blakes, G, Vanderbilt
• Madison Booker, F, Texas
• Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame
• Sarah Strong, F, UConn
• JuJu Watkins, G, USC

Speaking about Strong, UConn coach Geno Auriemma told the AP's Doug Feinberg that "it's pretty hard to get that much better" than she was as a sophomore.

"But it's not that hard to get better at some things that she wants to get better at," he said. "And I think what we'll see is a much more aggressive Sarah, much more intentional, much more understanding."

Strong could still collect all of the major individual honors if she just repeats her production (18.4 PTS, 7.7 REB, 3.8 AST, 3.4 STL) from a season ago.

With Watkins, the questions go beyond what kind of player she is post-ACL tear. Her absence allowed Jazzy Davidson to run the show in Los Angeles. The true freshman was USC's leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

Between Watkins and Davidson, the Trojans boast the most electric backcourt in the country. However, the pair could wind up splitting votes between each other when it comes to postseason awards and accolades.

Partially because of that, Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo might be the toughest challenger in Strong's repeat bid to be the national player of the year.

The junior led Division I in steals (5.6) for the second time and was top scorer in the ACC (25.3).

"I don't focus on the numbers ever," she told Feinberg. "All the numbers I put up last year was never about me saying, 'OK, I'm going to get this amount of points and this amount of steals.' I go out every single game and play every game like it's my last, and the numbers just come with how I play."

Even with the addition of Princeton guard Madison St. Rose, Hidalgo is going to shoulder a sizable offensive load for Notre Dame. Add that to her elite perimeter defending and it could tip the scales in her favor when voters weigh in at the end of the season.