Predicting March Madness breakout stars for women’s NCAA tournament

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The women’s NCAA tournament and the sneaky good hoopers are here.

March is when some of the best players in the country all push for a chance to win a national championship and light it up on college basketball’s biggest stage. On the women’s side, many people know the more prominent names like UConn’s Paige Bueckers or USC’s JuJu Watkins.

SURVIVOR POOL: Free to enter. $2,500 to win. Can you survive the madness?

However, some other players deserve more shine and are primed to have breakout March Madness runs. Let’s look at who could add to their already stellar seasons by displaying their top-tier talent in front of the country.

Here are five predictions for players who could be breakout stars during March Madness:

1. Lucy Olsen, Iowa Hawkeyes

When former Iowa star Caitlin Clark left for the WNBA, the questions began about who could fill her shoes. Truthfully, the answer is no one could ― Clark is in a league of her own ― but that’s okay. Iowa didn’t need someone to be Clark; they just needed a leader who they believed in.

Enter Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen, who is making her own lane at Iowa. Following her lead, the Hawkeyes are going dancing, and they have a good chance to be bracket-busters because Olsen is a stone-cold baller. She’s terrific in the mid-range, often unleashing her signature jumper at just the right moment. Olsen’s 12 games of 20 points or more this season indicate that she can explode anytime ― ask the USC Trojans. Olsen had a 28-point day against USC in an Iowa upset win earlier this season.

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2. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt Commodores

Some players have the star factor early on, and Vanderbilt freshman Mikayla Blakes is that girl. The dynamic guard broke multiple Division I freshman scoring records this season, including her own, with a…

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Publish date : 2025-03-21 14:00:00

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