JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers top Wooden Award finalists

Field Level Media|published: Tue 1st April, 20:52 2025

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket past Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Jerkaila Jordan (2) during an NCAA Tournament second round game at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Southern California sophomore guard JuJu Watkins and UConn senior guard Paige Bueckers head the list of finalists for the 2025 John Wooden Award that goes to women's college basketball's most outstanding player, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Tuesday night.

UCLA junior center Lauren Betts, Texas sophomore forward Madison Booker and Notre Dame sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo also have been named Wooden Award finalists. The quintet also has earned spots on the 10-person Wooden All-America team.

Watkins, who already has earned the Associated Press Player of the Year award, averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during the NCAA Tournament's second round.

Bueckers, who won the 2021 Wooden Award as a freshman, provides 20.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds for a UConn squad that plays UCLA on Friday in the second Final Four semifinal in Tampa, Fla.

Betts has led UCLA to its first Final Four with 20.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. Booker paces Final Four-bound Texas with 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals.

Hidalgo averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.6 assists per game for the Fighting Irish.

Joining the five finalists on the Wooden All-America team are Kentucky's Georgia Amoore, Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson, Notre Dame's Olivia Miles, LSU's Aneesah Morrow and TCU's Hailey Van Lith.

Latson led the nation with 25.2 points per game while Morrow paced all rebounders with 13.5 per game.

--Field Level Media