6 Women's Basketball Rising Stars Are Playing in March Madness 2025. Here's How to Watch Them Own the Court

Mar. 15, 2025

Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins.Photo:Jared C. Tilton/Getty; Steph Chambers/Getty

Jared C. Tilton/Getty; Steph Chambers/Getty

A new crop of women’sbasketballplayers is making a name for themselves.After a revolutionary 2024 season that saw record-high viewership, all eyes are on women’s basketball — especially during a hotly contestedMarch Madnessfeaturing the NCAA’s brightest stars.Fans can watch the bracket reveal, also known as Selection Sunday, on March 16 via ESPN. Matches start March 19, and avid basketball followers can catch every game streaming on ESPN+. Throughout March Madness, select games will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.From UCLA and USC to the University of Connecticut and Notre Dame, the best collegiate teams in the country will go head-to-head in a seven-round, knockout-style competition to become national champions.Ahead, read all about the six collegiate women’s basketball players leading their teams’ rosters as they vie for the NCAA championship title.

A new crop of women’sbasketballplayers is making a name for themselves.

After a revolutionary 2024 season that saw record-high viewership, all eyes are on women’s basketball — especially during a hotly contestedMarch Madnessfeaturing the NCAA’s brightest stars.

Fans can watch the bracket reveal, also known as Selection Sunday, on March 16 via ESPN. Matches start March 19, and avid basketball followers can catch every game streaming on ESPN+. Throughout March Madness, select games will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC.

From UCLA and USC to the University of Connecticut and Notre Dame, the best collegiate teams in the country will go head-to-head in a seven-round, knockout-style competition to become national champions.

Ahead, read all about the six collegiate women’s basketball players leading their teams’ rosters as they vie for the NCAA championship title.

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JuJu Watkins

JuJu Watkins.Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty

“We’re kind of hot right now with the season that we had,” Watkins toldBoardroomof the team’s previous season. “Looking at the trajectory of it, I think we are setting the standard. We’re building a new era of USC women’s basketball, so I think people will be crazy not to be a part of it.”

02of 06Paige BueckersPaige Bueckers.Jared C. Tilton/GettyThe UConn senior has remained one of the most hyped women’s basketball players since she began her college career in 2020.Paige Bueckers, who was the first freshman to win national women’s college player of the year, has led her team to several deep runs during the NCAA tournament. She’s known for her on-court senses and tactics, as well as her scoring ability, averaging 18.6 points per game this season.“Obviously, winning is the main goal — that’s always at the forefront of my mind,” Bueckers toldGQof the big tournament. “But I think I’ve grown in my mentality. The National Championship is in April — you can’t win it unless you win every single day of practice.”She’s expected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, so this March Madness is the last chance to see the prodigy work her magic before she turns pro.

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Paige Bueckers

Paige Bueckers.Jared C. Tilton/Getty

Jared C. Tilton/Getty

The UConn senior has remained one of the most hyped women’s basketball players since she began her college career in 2020.Paige Bueckers, who was the first freshman to win national women’s college player of the year, has led her team to several deep runs during the NCAA tournament. She’s known for her on-court senses and tactics, as well as her scoring ability, averaging 18.6 points per game this season.

“Obviously, winning is the main goal — that’s always at the forefront of my mind,” Bueckers toldGQof the big tournament. “But I think I’ve grown in my mentality. The National Championship is in April — you can’t win it unless you win every single day of practice.”

She’s expected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, so this March Madness is the last chance to see the prodigy work her magic before she turns pro.

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Hannah Hidalgo

Hannah Hidalgo.Michael Reaves/Getty

Michael Reaves/Getty

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo has led her team to 25 victories this season and averaged 24.2 points per match. This year, the sophomore continued her momentum from her first year, when she broke the freshman scoring record in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 790 points in a single season.

04of 06Aneesah MorrowAneesah Morrow.Jacob Kupferman/GettyLSU guard Aneesah Morrow, along with her teammatesFlau’jae Johnsonand Mikaylah Williams, inherited the title of the Tigers’ star players afterAngel Reese turned pro last year. Morrow’s athleticism and defensive abilities have proved invaluable in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference, with 12 wins and four losses — just behind South Carolina and UT Austin.“Neese’s bringing energy, she brings leadership,” Williams said of Morrow in a group conversation withSlam Magazine. “When you play with Neese, you don’t have no choice but to go hard, or she’s coming right at you.”Against the Ole Miss Rebels on March 2, Morrow became only the second player in NCAA women’s basketball history to achieve 100 or more double-doubles — 10 or more points, rebounds, assists, blocks and/or steals in a single game.

04of 06

Aneesah Morrow

Aneesah Morrow.Jacob Kupferman/Getty

Jacob Kupferman/Getty

LSU guard Aneesah Morrow, along with her teammatesFlau’jae Johnsonand Mikaylah Williams, inherited the title of the Tigers’ star players afterAngel Reese turned pro last year. Morrow’s athleticism and defensive abilities have proved invaluable in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference, with 12 wins and four losses — just behind South Carolina and UT Austin.

“Neese’s bringing energy, she brings leadership,” Williams said of Morrow in a group conversation withSlam Magazine. “When you play with Neese, you don’t have no choice but to go hard, or she’s coming right at you.”

Against the Ole Miss Rebels on March 2, Morrow became only the second player in NCAA women’s basketball history to achieve 100 or more double-doubles — 10 or more points, rebounds, assists, blocks and/or steals in a single game.

05of 06Lauren BettsLauren Betts.G Fiume/GettyUCLA’s center Lauren Betts looks to lead her team to its first NCAA women’s basketball championship with a 19.7 average in points and 9.9 in rebounds per game. Towering at 6 foot 7, Betts was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, leading the field in blocks with 73 total.But the junior is also adept on the offensive end, averaging 19.7 points per game, behind only Watkins in the Big Ten. With Betts at the forefront, the UCLA women’s basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll for the first time.“We have a saying on our team that our ceiling is our character and our talent is the floor,” Betts toldSportsCenterin February. “At the end of the day, it’s us against us, and we want to make sure we’re doing the right thing every single day and holding ourselves to the highest standard.”

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Lauren Betts

Lauren Betts.G Fiume/Getty

G Fiume/Getty

UCLA’s center Lauren Betts looks to lead her team to its first NCAA women’s basketball championship with a 19.7 average in points and 9.9 in rebounds per game. Towering at 6 foot 7, Betts was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year, leading the field in blocks with 73 total.

But the junior is also adept on the offensive end, averaging 19.7 points per game, behind only Watkins in the Big Ten. With Betts at the forefront, the UCLA women’s basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll for the first time.

“We have a saying on our team that our ceiling is our character and our talent is the floor,” Betts toldSportsCenterin February. “At the end of the day, it’s us against us, and we want to make sure we’re doing the right thing every single day and holding ourselves to the highest standard.”

06of 06Madison BookerMadison Booker.Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via GettyTexas Longhorns star Madison Booker and her team have recorded 29 wins, the most out of any collegiate team in the nation this year, and only two losses. Awarded Player of the Year in UT Austin’s conference, Booker had stellar performances in the team’s biggest wins of the season, including a 66-62 upset over last year’s NCAA champs the South Carolina Gamecocks.Former Longhorns men’s basketball starKevin Durantheaped praise on Booker in her freshman year, telling theAustin American-Statesman, “She’s already staking claim in this league right now and she’s going to be even better as she moves forward.”“I don’t label myself as just a scorer. I get my teammates involved,” she said of her game onThe Paul Finebaum Show. “I’m an all-around player.”

06of 06

Madison Booker

Madison Booker.Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Texas Longhorns star Madison Booker and her team have recorded 29 wins, the most out of any collegiate team in the nation this year, and only two losses. Awarded Player of the Year in UT Austin’s conference, Booker had stellar performances in the team’s biggest wins of the season, including a 66-62 upset over last year’s NCAA champs the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Former Longhorns men’s basketball starKevin Durantheaped praise on Booker in her freshman year, telling theAustin American-Statesman, “She’s already staking claim in this league right now and she’s going to be even better as she moves forward.”

“I don’t label myself as just a scorer. I get my teammates involved,” she said of her game onThe Paul Finebaum Show. “I’m an all-around player.”

source: people.com