Starting five

Paige Bueckers, Connecticut

Senior guard, 6-0. High school: Hopkins

Bueckers returned to college for this reason. To be healthy, to be back in the tournament and to be vying for the Huskies' first NCAA title since 2016. She leads UConn in scoring (19.0) and assists (4.9). She is shooting nearly 54% overall and making 40.6% of her threes. Who wouldn't like to see Bueckers and JuJu Watkins play in another UConn-USC regional final?

Gianna Kneepkens, Utah

Junior guard, 6-0. High school: Duluth Marshall

After missing most of 2023-24 because of a knee injury, Kneepkens has moved into a leadership role with the departure of Alissa Pili to the WNBA. Kneepkens led the Utes — whose roster also includes Wayzata's Jenna Johnson — back into the NCAA tournament, leading the team in scoring (19.2) while shooting 90-for-200 on threes.

Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina

Graduate wing, 6-1. High school: Rochester Lourdes

Ustby was just a few rebounds away from averaging a double-double for the season. She is second in scoring (10.6) and first in rebounding (9.5) for a North Carolina team that earned a No. 3 seed. Ustby missed the final four games of the regular season because of a knee injury but returned for the Tar Heels' three ACC tournament games.

Ayoka Lee, Kansas State

Graduate center, 6-6. High School: Byron

Signs are pointing to Lee — who hasn't played since reinjuring her foot in late February — returning for the NCAA tournament. She is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in program history and three seasons ago set the NCAA single-game scoring record with 61 points against Oklahoma. The Wildcats are 18-1 with her in the lineup this year, 8-6 without her.

Olivia Olson, Michigan

Freshman guard, 6-1. High School: Benilde-St. Margaret's

Olson was the standout on a Wolverines team dominated by freshmen. She led Michigan in scoring (16.2 ppg) and made nearly 40% of her three-pointers. Olson is also second on the team in rebounding (5.4) and fourth in assists (2.1) and shared the Big Ten coaches' Freshman of the Year award with Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge.

The next five

Tessa Johnson, South Carolina (St. Michael-Albertville)

Adalia McKenzie, Illinois (Park Center)

Anna Olson, Vermont (Monticello)

Kierra Wheeler, Norfolk State (Cooper)

Lauren Jensen, Creighton (Lakeville North)

Others

Nneka Obiazor (Eden Prairie), Grand Canyon; Kelly Boyle (Hopkins), North Carolina-Greensboro; Finley Ohnstad (Lakeville South), Kansas State; Madison Mathiowetz (Sleepy Eye St. Mary's), Ellie Colbeck (Fergus Falls), Kallie Theisen (Wayzata) and Paige Meyer (Albany), South Dakota State; Lilly Meister (Rochester John Marshall), Indiana; Miah Meyer (Silver Lake), Maren Westin (Becker), Sophie Lahti (Pine City), Jenna Guyer (Centennial) and Ellie Buzzelle (Rogers), Wisconsin-Green Bay; Jordan Zubich (Mountain Iron-Buhl), North Carolina; Trinity Wilson (Lakeville North), Vanderbilt; Katie Hurt (Rochester John Marshall), Kaylee Van Eps (Chaska) and Lily Fandre (Eagan), Lehigh; Kiani Lockett (Minnetonka), Mallory Blake (Hastings) and Molly Mogensen (Farmington), Creighton; Amy Thompson (Stillwater), South Florida; Ella Johnson (Elk River) and Taylor Janssen (Rosemount), Montana State; Liza Karlen (Stillwater), Notre Dame; Callin Hake (Chanhassen) and Kendall Coley (St. Louis Park), Nebraska; Natalie Mazurek (Eden Prairie), TCU.