For the first time in 589 days, All-American guard Juju Watkins suited up for USC on Monday.
After sitting out the entirety of the 2025-26 season to recover from a torn right ACL suffered in the 2025 NCAA tournament, Watkins (and her signature bun) returned to the court in USC's 100-68 season-opening win over UNLV on Monday, Nov. 2. And she picked up right where she left off, scoring 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 25 minutes of play.
"Imagine not playing a game for 500 and something days when you love the game like she does," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "The game is just better with her in it ... She's only going to get better."
Watkins, who was named to USA TODAY Sports’ five-player preseason All-American
team, is among 10 college basketball stars that deserve your attention as the season gets underway. Here are players to watch:
10. Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma, Sophmore, G
2026 average: 18.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 37.7% FG, 30.5% 3PT (34 games)
Aaliyah Chavez made a splash as a true freshman and powered the Sooners to their second consecutive Sweet 16. She led Oklahoma's third-ranked offense (85.9 points per game) in both scoring and assists. Chavez finished with double-digit points in all but one game last season, including a 26-point performance in Oklahoma's overtime win over South Carolina, where 15 of those points came in overtime alone. Chavez scored 20 or more points in 12 outings last season.
9. Kymora Johnson, Virginia, senior, G
2026 average: 19.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 40.9% FG, 36.1% 3PT (34 games)
Johnson had a breakout year at Virginia last season, leading the Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years. The Cavaliers advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 26 years after advancing out of the First Four, becoming the first team in tournament history to do so. Johnson was a huge part of the Cinderella run. The Virginia native was one of three players in the nation to average at least 19 points and 5.5 assists last season. She recorded a career-high 41 points on Dec. 20, shooting an efficient 15-of-20 from the field and 10-of-13 from the 3-point line to set a program record for made 3-pointers in a game. She also leaves her mark on defense, recording a career-high 2.1 steals per game.
8. Toby Fournier, Duke, junior, F
2026 average: 17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.2 blocks, 52.5 FG%, 33.3% 3PT (36 games)
After getting off to a dismal 3-6 start to the season, Duke won 21 of their next 23 games to secure the ACC Championship and run to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year. Toby Fournier led the turnaround, recording team-highs in points, rebounds and blocks in her increased roll. After coming off the bench as a freshman, Fournier made 36 starts last season, upping her minutes per game from 20.2 in 2024-25 to 29.1 last season. Her 78 total blocks ranked eight in the nation. Fournier sustained a lower leg injury on Tuesday. It's unclear how much time she will miss.
7. Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State, senior, C
2026 average: 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.9 steals, 64.9 FG% (31 games)
Saddle up. Audi Crooks is ready for her senior season. After three seasons at Iowa State, the Iowa native was one of nine Cyclones to enter the transfer portal. Crooks was wildly regarded as the top player in the portal and landed at Oklahoma State, opting to remain in the Big 12. Cowgirls head coach Jacie Hoyt gets an efficient scoring in Crooks, whose bread and butter is production in the paint. Crooks' 25.8 points per game ranked second in the nation and her 64.9% from the fieldwas a career-high. Her impact was immediately felt in Oklahoma State's 81-39 win over Southern on Monday. Crooks had 22 points and eight rebounds, her 99th consecutive game reaching double-digits, the longest active streak in the nation.
6. Joyce Edwards, South Carolina, junior, F
2026 average: 19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals, 57.1 FG%, 20.0% 3PT (40 games)
Joyce Edwards seamlessly slid into the starting lineup as sophomore and led the Gamecocks to their fifth national championship game. But South Carolina fell short of a title for the second consecutive season. Edwards powered South Carolina to the fourth-best scoring offense in the nation (85.6 points per game), leading the team in both points (19.2) and steals (1.8). Edwards broke multiple single-season franchise records, including total points (768 points), 20 or more point games (22), minutes (1,222) and games (40) played.
5. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt, junior, G
2026 average: 27.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.9 steals, 45.6 FG%, 35.9% 3PT (34 games)
Mikayla Blakes burst on the scene by breaking Elena Della Donne's previous NCAA single-game freshman record with a 55-point performance on Feb. 16, 2025, marking her second 53-plus point game in a month. Blakes' scoring volume hasn't slowed as her 27.0 points per game led the nation. The reigning SEC Player of the Year and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award recipient scored double-digits in every game last season, including 13 games with 30 points or more. Blakes set the NCAA sophomore scoring record for most points scored in a season (918), which also set an SEC single-season scoring record. Expect Blakes to enter her junior year with a new level of confidence after participating in a Team USA training camp in April. She neared a triple-double in Vanderbilt's 112-53 season-opening win, with 27 points, nine rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks.
4. Madison Booker, Texas, senior, F
2026 average: 23.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.7 steals, 50.8 FG%, 28.4% 3PT (39 games)
Madison Booker led the Longhorns to the Final Four in back-to-back seasons. She recorded career-highs in scoring and steals last season, finishing with double-digit points in all but three games. Booker scored 20 or more points in 15 of those games, including a career-high 40-point performance against Oregon in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 32. Booker went on to earn first-team All-American honors and, for the third consecutive year, won the Cheryl Miller Award, which is awarded to the best small forward in the country. Look for Booker to bounce back in Texas' season opener after being limited to six points in the national semifinal.
3. JuJu Watkins, USC, senior, G
Sat out 2025-26 season
After sitting last season to fully recover from antorn right ACL suffered in the second round of the NCAA tournament on March 24, 2025, Watkins officially returned to the basketball court for her first game in 589 days on Monday. Watkins didn't appear to miss a step, finishing with 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 25 minutes of play in USC's 100-68 season-opening win over UNLV. Watkins averaged 23.9 points per game as a sophomore during the 2024-25 season and went on to sweep the nation's top individual honors, winning the Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year award and AP National Player of the Year award in 2025.
2. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame, senior, G
2026 average: 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 5.6 steals, 47.5 FG%, 25.4% 3PT (36 games)
What can't Hannah Hidalgo do? The best two-way player in the country doesn't appear to have any weakness in her game. Look no further than Hidalgo's near quadruple-double — yes, you read that right — when she finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists in Notre Dame's blowout win over Fairfield in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hidalgo was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year after leading the nation in steals per game and setting an NCAA record with 202 total steals. She also picked up WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year honors, in addition to the Nancy Lieberman Award, ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Hidalgo enters her senior season with the same vigor, recording 32 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals in Notre Dame's season-opening win over Villanova.
1. Sarah Strong, UConn, junior, F
2026 average: 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.4 steals, 58.2 FG%, 40.4% 3PT (38 games)
It's hard to wonder how Strong can continually top herself. After winning a national championship as a freshman in 2025, Strong followed up with a sophomore campaign that resulted in the 2026 Naismith College Player of the Year, which goes to the top women's basketball player in the country. She swept the player of the year awards by winning AP Player of the Year, USBWA Player of the Year, the Wooden Award and Wade Trophy. Strong led the Huskies in points, rebounds, blocks and steals per game last season. UConn's undefeated season ended in national semifinals with a loss to South Carolina. UConn bounced back with a 100-35 season-opening win over Cornell, where Strong recorded 19 points, eight steals, five assists and four rebounds.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking top 10 players in women's college basketball as 2026-27 season tips off
