Betts, Osborne and Rice Named to John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50
November 14, 2023 | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Three Bruins have been named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal Women's Preseason Top 50 Watch List as announced on ESPN Tuesday. Sophomores Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice join graduate student Charisma Osborne on the list of the top 50 student-athletes in NCAA women's basketball.
UCLA is one of four programs with three-or-more selections on the preseason watch list, joining LSU, UConn and Ohio State.
The list represents eight conferences: the Pac-12 leads all conferences with 11 selections, followed by the ACC with ten selections, the Big Ten and SEC with nine each, the Big 12 with six, the Big East with three and the Ivy League and MAC with one selection apiece.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Principal. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2024 John R. Wooden Award will be presented in Los Angeles in April.
Full List
Georgia Amoore – Virginia Tech
Sarah Andrews – Baylor
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Cameron Brink# – Stanford
Paige Bueckers** – Connecticut
Kamilla Cardoso – South Carolina
Jessika Carter – Mississippi State
Sonia Citron – Notre Dame
Caitlin Clark* – Iowa
Olivia Cochran – Louisville
Makira Cook – Illinois
Aaliyah Edwards – Connecticut
Dyaisha Fair – Syracuse
Azzi Fudd – Connecticut
Gabby Gregory – Kansas State
Rori Harmon – Texas
Mackenzie Holmes# – Indiana
Abbey Hsu – Columbia
Rickea Jackson – Tennessee
Taiyanna Jackson – Kansas
Flau'jae Johnson – LSU
Hannah Jump – Stanford
Deja Kelly – North Carolina
Elizabeth Kitley – Virginia Tech
Gianna Kneepkens – Utah
Ta'Niya Latson – Florida State
Ayoka Lee – Kansas State
Charlisse Leger-Walker – Washington State
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs – Baylor
Quinesha Lockett – Toledo
Rayah Marshall – USC
Cotie McMahon – Ohio State
Olivia Miles – Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow – LSU
Charisma Osborne – UCLA
Te-Hina Paopao – South Carolina
Laila Phelia – Michigan
Alissa Pili – Utah
Angel Reese – LSU
Kiki Rice – UCLA
Saniya Rivers – NC State
Madison Scott – Mississippi
Shyanne Sellers – Maryland
Jacy Sheldon – Ohio State
Jaz Shelley – Nebraska
Jaylyn Sherrod – Colorado
Celeste Taylor – Ohio State
Alyssa Ustby – North Carolina
Hailey Van Lith – LSU
JuJu Watkins – USC
# indicates player selected as 2022-23 Wooden Award All American
*indicates player selected as 2022-23 Wooden Award Winner
**indicates player selected as 2020-21 Wooden Award Winner
UCLA is one of four programs with three-or-more selections on the preseason watch list, joining LSU, UConn and Ohio State.
The list represents eight conferences: the Pac-12 leads all conferences with 11 selections, followed by the ACC with ten selections, the Big Ten and SEC with nine each, the Big 12 with six, the Big East with three and the Ivy League and MAC with one selection apiece.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2024 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Principal. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2024 John R. Wooden Award will be presented in Los Angeles in April.
Full List
Georgia Amoore – Virginia Tech
Sarah Andrews – Baylor
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Cameron Brink# – Stanford
Paige Bueckers** – Connecticut
Kamilla Cardoso – South Carolina
Jessika Carter – Mississippi State
Sonia Citron – Notre Dame
Caitlin Clark* – Iowa
Olivia Cochran – Louisville
Makira Cook – Illinois
Aaliyah Edwards – Connecticut
Dyaisha Fair – Syracuse
Azzi Fudd – Connecticut
Gabby Gregory – Kansas State
Rori Harmon – Texas
Mackenzie Holmes# – Indiana
Abbey Hsu – Columbia
Rickea Jackson – Tennessee
Taiyanna Jackson – Kansas
Flau'jae Johnson – LSU
Hannah Jump – Stanford
Deja Kelly – North Carolina
Elizabeth Kitley – Virginia Tech
Gianna Kneepkens – Utah
Ta'Niya Latson – Florida State
Ayoka Lee – Kansas State
Charlisse Leger-Walker – Washington State
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs – Baylor
Quinesha Lockett – Toledo
Rayah Marshall – USC
Cotie McMahon – Ohio State
Olivia Miles – Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow – LSU
Charisma Osborne – UCLA
Te-Hina Paopao – South Carolina
Laila Phelia – Michigan
Alissa Pili – Utah
Angel Reese – LSU
Kiki Rice – UCLA
Saniya Rivers – NC State
Madison Scott – Mississippi
Shyanne Sellers – Maryland
Jacy Sheldon – Ohio State
Jaz Shelley – Nebraska
Jaylyn Sherrod – Colorado
Celeste Taylor – Ohio State
Alyssa Ustby – North Carolina
Hailey Van Lith – LSU
JuJu Watkins – USC
# indicates player selected as 2022-23 Wooden Award All American
*indicates player selected as 2022-23 Wooden Award Winner
**indicates player selected as 2020-21 Wooden Award Winner
Players Mentioned
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