We’ve been saying it for years here at The Athletic, and it’s true again this season: The freshmen aren’t freshmen, y’all. This year’s crop — both because of their skills and particularly good fits with programs — has a chance to stand out individually and to elevate their teams from good to great, and great to Final Four-worthy.
Here are six freshmen we can’t wait to see on the floor this season.
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Jazzy Davidson, USC guard
With JuJu Watkins sidelined for the season as she recovers from an ACL tear, it’s fair to assume that someone (or several players) will carry the load for the Trojans in a way that’s significantly different from the last two seasons. Sophomore Kennedy Smith is likely to be the No. 1 option for coach Lindsay Gottlieb at least early on, but it’ll be fascinating to see how Davidson factors in. Gottlieb has shown that she’s not afraid to hand the reins to a talented freshman. Davidson, who became ESPN’s No. 1 player in the 2025 class at the eleventh hour, is just that. The lefty averaged 29 points and eight rebounds a game as a high school senior. Her assist rate was higher when playing with the Team USA pool than when she was in high school, so it’ll be interesting to see how she balances scoring and playmaking in college — and how Gottlieb chooses to employ that skill.
Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma point guard
Oklahoma experienced a resurgence last season, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than a decade. With much of the Sooners’ core returning — Raegan Beers, Payton Verhulst, Sahara Williams — Oklahoma starts with an incredibly sturdy, experienced base to which it adds Chavez. It’s a perfect situation for an explosive but young true point guard. The Sooners led the nation in assists last season, but they did so as a committee, with no individual player averaging more than four assists a game. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Chavez come in and lead from the jump. She has great court vision and can find seams in defenses at an elite level, even in an up-tempo system.
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Blanca Quiñonez, UConn forward
Don’t expect Quiñonez to play like a freshman, considering the 6-foot-2 Ecuadorian forward has been playing professionally in Italy’s top league since 2020. Think of her as Sarah Strong 2.0 (with more experience entering the freshman ranks) — a player who can finish inside and score from all three levels, distribute the ball well and possesses handles like a guard. Like Strong, Quiñonez has the benefit of coming in without needing to be everything for UConn, given the talent around her, so she’ll be able to pick her moments and develop through the season. That doesn’t mean she’ll be a shrinking violet on the court. Could we see another UConn unicorn picking up Freshman of the Year honors at the end of the season?
Addie Deal, Iowa guard
When Deal committed to Iowa in March 2024, amid Clark’s senior run with Iowa to the national championship, the “The Next Clark?” comments flew. But now — another year removed from that Clark Mania (and with the benefit of having Lucy Olsen go through it before her), Deal enters to slightly less mania, which could be a benefit. Like Olsen before her, stepping into the Hawkeyes lead guard role, Deal has the benefit of being surrounded by veteran presences in Iowa City — a returning Kylie Feuerbach and seniors Taylor McCabe and Hannah Stuelke. That should help Deal find her sea legs. She’s a rangy defensive player with good instincts, which will help her initiate some offense for the Hawkeyes, but it’ll be very fun to see her develop within the offensive motion that Iowa runs. With solid 3-point range, a good nose for the basket and a great feel for the pick-and-roll game, it shouldn’t take long to realize why Deal — the California native — knew Iowa could be a perfect fit.
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Sienna Betts, UCLA forward
Beyond Betts’ skills as a 6-4 forward who can contribute as a reserve, I’m fascinated to see if UCLA’s rotation looks any different this season in light of coach Cori Close losing her entire freshman class to the portal last season. Betts, the younger sister of 6-7 senior Lauren, faces the same issues as the freshman class that came before her — a top seven that could start at most programs. Will Close feel more pressure to make sure Betts, who could be the future of this program after the top seven graduate in the next year or two, gets more than 20 minutes a game? Or gets starting experience as a freshman? Will the transfer portal wreaking havoc on college basketball’s traditional roster building change the way coaches, like Close, deal with talented but inexperienced freshmen? Betts is a fantastic player with huge potential. She averaged 23 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior, so she can make an impact, but she’s not as polished as the seven veterans in front of her. In this day and age of college hoops, will that matter as much?
Aaliyah Crump, Texas forward
South Carolina — SEC tournament champions four of the last five seasons — remains the team to beat in the SEC. Even though the Longhorns found a way to steal one from the Gamecocks last season during their first year in the league, South Carolina proved multiple times that it was the better squad. One way the Longhorns could improve their chances? Adding an elite forward, like Crump. One of her best assets is her experience playing with an elite group (outside of Team USA commitments). Though Crump is a Minnesota native, she played high school hoops at Florida’s Montverde Academy alongside South Carolina freshman Agot Makeer, Clemson freshman Amaia Jackson, Alabama freshman Lourdes Da Silva Costa and Saniya Hall (No. 1 in the 2026 class). Her ability as a proven scorer, rebounder, distributor and defender, while not being the best player on the team, could be a serious benefit to Crump as she suits up alongside Madison Booker, Rori Harmon and Kyla Oldacre.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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