UConn's Strong, USC's Watkins headline preseason AP All-American women's team
Sarah Strong and JuJu Watkins, the last two AP Player of the Year winners, headline the preseason All-America women's basketball team alongside Mikayla Blakes, Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo.
UConn forward Sarah Strong and USC guard JuJu Watkins headline the preseason AP All-America women's basketball team, The Associated Press announced on Thursday.
The pair have won the last two AP Player of the Year awards between them, and both were chosen by the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Strong, the reigning player of the year, earned 30 of the 31 possible votes.
Strong's selection was little surprise after a dominant season in which she averaged 18.4 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 58.2 percent from the field. The Huskies star established herself as the benchmark of the college game, making her the clear headliner of this year's team.
Watkins returns to the team after missing all of last season while recovering from an ACL tear in her right knee. The USC guard's comeback is one of the stories of the season, and coach Lindsay Gottlieb said the Trojans are excited to have her back on the court.
Joining Strong and Watkins are Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes, who led the nation at 27.0 points per game; Texas forward Madison Booker, who averaged 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season; and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, a constant on All-America teams who is coming off another superb campaign. Strong, Blakes and Booker were first-team All-Americans last spring, while Hidalgo made the second team.
The announcement comes with the new season approaching and South Carolina ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll, setting up a compelling chase for national honors.
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