The NCAA Women’s National Player of the Year (NPOY) debate is as closely contested as it has been in recent memory. 

In what could legitimately be regarded as the most star-studded talent pool we’ve ever seen in the sport, USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo have emerged as the two overwhelming frontrunners for the various prestigious NPOY honors that are due to be handed out over the next month or so. 

UCLA’s Lauren Betts had a strong candidacy until she was outperformed twice by Watkins in two losses to the Women of Troy within the last month. UConn’s Paige Bueckers has the most impressive advanced metrics in the country, though the fifth-year star’s per-game averages don’t quite stack up to Watkins’ and Hidalgo’s. 

Why JuJu Watkins Deserves The NCAA NPOY

2024-25 stats: 24.7 PTS, 6.8 REB, 3.6 AST

JuJu’s campaign: Watkins’ numbers are down slightly from a freshman campaign that saw her emerge as one of the forefront stars in the sport, but the statement USC made in its first Big 10 season was the most impressive achievement of Watkins’ career thus far.

The sophomore superstar led USC to an outright Big 10 title with a 17-1 record in conference play, leading the conference in scoring and ranking second nationally. Even with high-profile transfers Kiki Iriafen and Talia Van Oelhoffen joining USC in the offseason, Watkins has still led the team in scoring in 23 of its 30 games to this point. 

The Women of Troy are currently 28-2 overall and they advanced to the Big 10 tournament final with a win over Michigan on Saturday.

Signature performances: Watkins established herself as the frontrunner for player of the year with an all-time performance in USC’s 71-60 win over then unbeaten and top-ranked UCLA. Watkins tallied 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and eight blocks with six 3-pointers, a stat line unmatched across all of Division I hoops in the last 20 years. The Women of Troy completed the season sweep over Betts and the Bruins last week, as Watkins had another signature 30-point performance while taunting the UCLA faithful. Watkins also led USC to a 72-70 win over then-No.2 UConn in December, tallying 25 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Why Hannah Hidalgo Deserves The NCAA NPOY

2024-25 stats: 24.2 PTS, 5.2 REB, 3.7 AST

Hannah’s campaign: The sophomore Hidalgo earned ACC Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, leading the ACC in scoring with 24.2 points per game while leading the Fighting Irish to a 25-4 record during the regular season.

With the help of teammates Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron, Hidalgo pushed Notre Dame to a 16-2 record in ACC play. Even with Miles and Citron in the fold, however, Hidalgo led the Fighting Irish in scoring in 24 of their 31 games overall. Hidalgo scored at least 20+ points in 25 games this season, including a stretch 14 consecutive games from early December to mid-February.

Even in today's 61-59 stunning ACC tournament loss against Duke, Hidalgo led all Irish with 23 points, two rebounds, and three assists. In addition, her defensive prowess was on full display, tallying a total of six steals. 

Signature performances: Hidalgo led Notre Dame to a 74-61 over Watkins and then-No.3 USC at the Cayman Islands Classic in November, matching Watkins total of 24 points on a more efficient day from the field. Oh, and she also racked up two more assists than Watkins to boot.

Hidalgo additionally led Notre Dame to a 78-69 victory over then-No. 2 UConn in December, nearly tallying a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Hidalgo and Notre Dame also have a win over the current No. 1 team in the nation, as they beat Texas 80-70 in December as well on the shoulders of 30 points and eight rebounds from Hidalgo.