Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins Headline 2024-25 AP Women’s Preseason All-America Team.
The Associated Press announced its preseason All-America team ahead of the 2024-25 women’s basketball campaign, with UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC’s JuJu Watkins headlining the group.
The pair were unanimous choices by the 30-person voting panel, per the AP’s Doug Feinberg.
Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Texas’ Madison Booker and USC’s Kiki Iriafen rounded out the first team.
Feinberg noted this is the first year the AP All-America squad has three sophomores.
In her first season back after suffering a torn ACL, Bueckers averaged 22.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals. She also shot 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. The 6’0″ guard reminded fans why she was a national player of the year as a true freshman in 2020-21.
As the No. 1 recruit in the country, Watkins carried high expectations into her first year with the Trojans and far exceeded them. Her scoring average (27.1 points) was the second-highest in Division I behind Iowa star Caitlin Clark. She set a new school record when she scored 51 points in a February upset of Stanford.
