Ranking the 25 best players in the women's Sweet 16

Sarah Strong makes picking the No. 1 player on this list pretty simple.

But even with the field narrowed to 16 teams, ranking the top 25 players in the 2026 women's NCAA tournament is as difficult as ever.

With five players who were ranked on our pre-March Madness list now eliminated with their teams, there were new considerations. Our rankings take into account the players' seasonlong statistics but also weigh their early-round NCAA tournament performances.

While several teams had multiple players make the cut, teams such as Louisville and North Carolina are so balanced that it was difficult to single out one player for the top 25. That isn't a knock on the Cardinals and the Tar Heels. In fact, it has worked well for both, as they are among five ACC schools in the Sweet 16.

The regional semifinals start Friday (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Fort Worth and Sacramento, with star power in every game. Here are 25 of the best to keep an eye on.

1. Sarah Strong, UConn

Forward | 6-foot-2 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 1

2025-26 stats: 18.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.1 APG

Strong continues to rake in the national player of the year awards, and though she hasn't been otherworldly so far in the NCAA tournament, she has done what the Huskies have needed her to do to: lead them in scoring in their first-round win and be the rebounding and two-way force that makes her one of the most exciting prospects we've seen in some time. She has a knack for playing her best basketball when it counts -- she was arguably their best player in the Final Four last year when UConn won its first title since 2016 -- which should serve the Huskies well as the road gets tougher in Fort Worth, Texas, and ultimately Phoenix. -- Alexa Philippou

MORE: Why Strong and the undefeated Huskies are so hard to beat

2. Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

Guard | 5-8 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 2

2025-26 stats: 27.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.9 SPG

The best scorer in the country is so much more than that. That's what the first two games of the NCAA tournament have proved. Blakes was one assist shy of a triple-double and had four steals in Round 2 against Illinois (30 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists). Equally if not more notable, the Fighting Illini starting backcourt of Aaliyah Guyton and Destiny Jackson going up against Blakes and Aubrey Galvan was a combined 1-of-13 from the field. In the first round, Blakes scored 30 points in just 29 minutes, but also had five assists. -- Charlie Creme

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Ralph on Vandy's Blakes: 'She's the best player in the country'

As the Commodores prepare to face Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, Ralph joins "The Paul Finebaum Show" and speaks on why she feels Mikayla Blakes is the best player in the NCAA.

3. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

Guard | 5-6 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 3

2025-26 stats: 25.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.6 SPG

The third-best scorer in the nation and one of the best two-way players in Division I, Hidalgo combined for 49 points through the first two games of the NCAA tournament. Hidalgo tallied eight steals in each of the first two rounds of the tournament, pestering opponents on defense and displaying her knack for swiping the ball when her opponent puts their guard down for just a second. Notre Dame will need every bit of her offensive fire and defensive prowess against Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes, who leads the nation in scoring. -- Kendra Andrews

4. Azzi Fudd, UConn

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 4

2025-26 stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.0 APG, 45.4% 3FG

Fudd was limited in the Huskies' first-round game against UTSA, picking up three early fouls and finishing with seven points. But her next outing showed why she was named an AP first-team All-American. She tied her career high of 34 points, with 26 in the first half alone, exploding for 8-of-11 shooting on 3-pointers. Her well-rounded outing -- she also finished with five assists and four steals -- might have been her best performance as a Husky. If that version of Fudd -- or close to it -- shows up the rest of the tournament, UConn should have no problem cutting down the nets. -- Philippou

MORE: The 'imperfectly perfect' family behind Azzi Fudd

5. Madison Booker, Texas

Forward | 6-1 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 5

2025-26 stats: 19.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.8 APG

The Longhorns' leading scorer and rebounder, Booker is coming off a career-high 40 points in a 100-58 victory over Oregon in the second round. She was 14-of-21 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line while also having eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers -- not technically a "perfect" game, but close. In Texas' first-round win over Missouri State, she had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Longhorns face familiar SEC foe Kentucky in the regional semifinals Saturday in the Fort Worth 3 Regional; in their 64-53 win over the Wildcats on Feb. 9, Booker had a season-low eight points. It was one of just two games this season where she did not reach double figures in scoring. So this might be a game she is personally hyped up to play, along with it being the next step in what Texas hopes is a journey back to the Final Four. -- Michael Voepel

6. Lauren Betts, UCLA

Center | 6-7 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 6

2025-26 stats: 17.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.2 APG

Betts scored a career-best 35 points on 15-of-19 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in the Bruins' win over Oklahoma State in the round of 32. She scored all of her points on two-pointers, displaying utter dominance in the paint. Her presence down low is critical to UCLA's success in the tournament. This Bruins team is one of the best the program has had, and Betts is the engine that makes UCLA go. -- Andrews

7. Olivia Miles, TCU

Guard | 5-10 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 7

2025-26 stats: 19.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.6 APG

It's difficult to determine what was more special in TCU's first two NCAA tournament games: Miles' 12th career triple-double in the first round or her second-half turnaround that saved the Horned Frogs from elimination against Washington. The 16 rebounds and 14 assists (plus 12 points) against UC San Diego made Miles the third player with multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA tournament, and the first to do it with two different teams (TCU and Notre Dame). Her 14 points and six assists in the second half and overtime in the round of 32 led TCU in overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit to Washington to get to a second straight Sweet 16. It's her third appearance in the regional semifinals. -- Creme

8. Joyce Edwards, South Carolina

Forward | 6-3 | Sophomore

Midseason ranking: 9

2025-26 stats: 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 59.5% FG

Edwards, coming off a 27-point first-round performance, added 23 points and 10 rebounds in the second round. Edwards is a player who thrives in the paint, making most of her shots from down low. When South Carolina faces Oklahoma, which was the only team to beat the Gamecocks in conference play, it needs this version of Edwards. When they played in January, she struggled. She scored just 12 points and didn't have the same free-flowing, easy way of playing that she has shown in the tournament so far. -- Andrews

9. Olivia Olson, Michigan

Guard | 6-1 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 10

2025-26 stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 47.8% FG

After a pedestrian performance in the first-round blowout of Holy Cross, Olson was shut out in the first half two days later against NC State, and Michigan led by only three at the break. But after halftime, the All-American in Olson awoke, and 27 points and three steals later, the Wolverines had a 92-63 win. In 18 minutes, Olson produced more points than she had in any of her previous eight postseason games. -- Creme

10. Kymora Johnson, Virginia

Guard | 5-7 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 19.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG

Johnson was included in our preseason top 25 player rankings, but not at midseason or pre-tournament. She proved she belonged with a brilliant performance in Iowa City to lead Virginia to the program's first Sweet 16 since 2000. Virginia came into the NCAA tournament having lost its last three games in a row and four of its last six. But then things changed dramatically.

The Cavaliers are the first First Four team to reach the regional semifinals since the women's field expanded to 68 in 2022. Johnson had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 57-55 First Four victory over Arizona State. In the first round, the Cavaliers beat Georgia 82-73 in overtime behind Johnson's 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Then in Virginia's biggest win in many years, she had 28 points and four assists in an 83-75 double-overtime victory over host and No. 2 seed Iowa. The No. 10 seed Cavaliers are the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16 and face No. 3 seed TCU on Saturday in the Sacramento 4 Regional. -- Voepel

11. Raegan Beers, Oklahoma

Center | 6-4 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 13

2025-26 stats: 15.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 61.7% FG

Oklahoma wants to run. No team in the country plays faster. But the Sooners can't run without the ball. That is why Beers is their ultimate X factor. Her rebounding and outlet passing are the foundation of the fourth-highest-scoring team in the country. So far in the NCAA tournament she has 16 defensive rebounds and 24 total to go with 18 points each in the wins over Idaho and Michigan State. Coincidentally, the 18 points and 14 rebounds Beers had against the Spartans is the same stat line she produced when the Sooners upset South Carolina, their next opponent, earlier this year. -- Creme

MORE: 15 Beers, booming NIL sales, not a sip of alcohol: Raegan Beers' viral jersey

12. Mikaylah Williams, LSU

Guard | 6-0 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 21

2025-26 stats: 14.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.7 APG

LSU was unstoppable in the first two rounds, and Williams was a big reason why. She had 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in a 116-58 first-round win over Jacksonville. In the 101-47 second-round win over Texas Tech, she had 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists. She shot a combined 62.5% in those games. No. 2 seed LSU will take on No. 3 seed Duke in the Sacramento 2 Regional on Friday, a rematch of the Tigers' 93-77 win at Duke on Dec. 4. Williams had 14 points and seven assists in that game. -- Voepel

13. Toby Fournier, Duke

Forward | 6-2 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 14

2025-26 stats: 17.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG

Fournier's rim protection is the cornerstone of Duke's defense -- and defense is the cornerstone of Duke's success. She has had only three blocks in the NCAA tournament but helped shut down Baylor's frontcourt. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, a 51.9% shooter on the season and the Bears' second-leading scorer, was 3-of-11 from the field and had seven points. Baylor scored just 46 points over 40 minutes. Fournier also averaged 19.5 points per game, two above her season average, in the opening two games. -- Creme

14. Flau'jae Johnson, LSU

Guard | 5-10 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 15

2025-26 stats: 14.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.6 APG

Johnson put on a show for her final home game with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, along with four rebounds and three assists, as the Tigers beat Texas Tech 101-47 in the second round. In LSU's 116-58 first-round victory over Jacksonville, she had 20 points and five rebounds. Johnson, who was a freshman on LSU's 2023 national championship team, played well earlier this season against Duke, the Tigers' Sweet 16 opponent in the Sacramento 2 Regional. She had 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and three assists on Dec. 4 in LSU's 93-77 win at Duke. -- Voepel

15. Clara Strack, Kentucky

Center | 6-5 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 16

2025-26 stats: 16.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.6 BPG

As good as Tonie Morgan and Teonni Key have been for the Wildcats, this team's success runs through Strack. To win, Kentucky needs her to be good. Through two games in the NCAA tournament, she has been very good. Her stat line against West Virginia -- 18 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four blocks -- translated into winning. Strack led the team in those final three categories. A West Virginia team that averaged 12.5 offensive rebounds per game had just six against Kentucky. Strack's 31.6% defensive rebound rate was the reason why. -- Creme

16. Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma

Guard | 5-10 | Freshman

Pre-tournament ranking: 19

2025-26 stats: 18.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.2 APG

Oklahoma is in the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years for the first time since making three in a row from 2009 to 2011. Chavez leads the Sooners, the No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 4 Regional, in scoring and assists, and is second in Division I in free throw shooting (92.8%). She has not been afraid to take big shots in key moments. She had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Sooners' first-round victory over Idaho. She did not shoot well from the field (5-of-17, 29.4%) in Oklahoma's 77-71 second-round win over Michigan State, but still finished with 18 points, five rebounds and six assists. She was a key factor in Oklahoma's 94-82 overtime victory over South Carolina on Jan. 22 with 26 points, so we'll see how she and the Sooners fare in the rematch in the regional semifinals. -- Voepel

17. Tessa Johnson, South Carolina

Guard | 6-0 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 12.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 44.5% 3FG

Johnson has been a steady contributor for the Gamecocks through the first two rounds of the tournament and all season long. Her style of play, including 2.6 assists per game, is what helps make South Carolina so dangerous and unrelenting. In the first round, she recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds (also a career-best mark). Her height usually gives her an advantage, but she's usually on the break when the Gamecocks run in transition, which is often. Heading into the tournament, Johnson was leading the SEC in 3-point shooting at 44.1%, which also ranked 10th in the nation. -- Andrews

18. Syla Swords, Michigan

Guard | 6-0 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Swords' overall production might have dipped a bit from her freshman season, but her importance to the Wolverines has not. That was evident in Sunday's second-round win over NC State. Swords' nine points led the way in a first half while the Wolfpack were still putting up a fight and Olson was struggling to score. In the second half, both Swords and Olson exploded, combining for 44 points in the runaway win. -- Creme

19. Blanca Quiñonez, UConn

Forward | 6-2 | Freshman

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 10.4 PPG, 53.4% FG, 2.1 APG

Quiñonez was more of an unknown on the national scene entering her freshman year at UConn, having grown up in Ecuador and played in a professional league in Italy. But when healthy, she has been a revelation for the Huskies -- she missed eight games earlier this season due to a shoulder injury -- and is arguably their X factor for the NCAA tournament. The freshman has looked plenty comfortable in her first March Madness, so far averaging 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks through two games. -- Philippou

20. Delaney Thomas, Duke

Forward | 6-3 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 11.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG

Thomas has played well this postseason, helping Duke win the ACC tournament for the second year in a row and advance to a third straight Sweet 16. She had 19 points and nine rebounds in the Blue Devils' 81-64 first-round win over Charleston, then 17 and seven in their 69-46 second-round win over Baylor. She shot a combined 13-of-18 (72.2%) in those games, and her defense inside along with teammate Toby Fournier has been crucial for Duke. In the Blue Devils' 93-77 loss to LSU on Dec. 4, she had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting but just three rebounds. Thomas and Duke will be looking for a better performance on the boards in the upcoming rematch with LSU. -- Voepel

21. MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU

Guard | 5-8 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 22

2025-26 stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.5 APG

Fulwiley, a transfer from South Carolina, where she won the 2024 NCAA title, hopes to lead LSU back to the Final Four in her first season with the Tigers. She has had both hot and not-so-hot stretches this season. She was on fire, averaging 21.3 PPG in the six-game stretch before the NCAA tournament. However, she had a quiet opening weekend, with 13 points in the first round and two in the second round. Considering the Tigers routed Jacksonville by 58 points and Texas Tech by 54 in those games, they didn't need much from Fulwiley. That will change in the Sweet 16 against Duke. Earlier this season, Fulwiley had 16 points and five rebounds in a 93-77 victory over Duke on Dec. 4. -- Voepel

22. Madina Okot, South Carolina

Center | 6-6 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 25

2025-26 stats: 13.5 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG

Okot's size makes her feel inevitable in the paint: An opponent will either have to go through her when she's defending, or they will have to find a way to stop her when she's trying to score. She finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds in South Carolina's second-round win over USC, dominating when the other team didn't have anyone to match her size. When the Gamecocks face Oklahoma, Okot will have to go against Raegan Beers. In their first matchup of the season, Okot lost the battle, totaling her second-fewest rebounds (four) and third-fewest points (six) of the season. Since that Jan. 22 loss, she has found a more comfortable role and more confidence in her game. -- Andrews

23. Kiki Rice, UCLA

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 17

2025-26 stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.5 APG, 49.7% FG

Rice has provided the Bruins with steady scoring through the first two rounds of the tournament, but she hasn't done it nearly as efficiently as she did in the regular season. But her playmaking has stayed sharp, which is crucial for UCLA. Rice is in the midst of one of the best seasons of her career. The last time the Bruins played Minnesota, Rice tied her career high with 25 points. -- Andrews

24. Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA

Guard | 6-0 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 13.2 PPG, 3.0 APG, 43.7% 3PT

The next two weeks will reveal whether Kneepkens, who transferred to UCLA from Utah last offseason, was the missing piece to get the Bruins from a Final Four team to a national champion, but there is no question she has made them better. Kneepkens' 43.7% shooting from 3-point range on the season and 15 points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep in the second round against Oklahoma State were exactly what UCLA needed to take the next step. The Bruins shot 36.7% on 3-pointers in last year's regionals and Final Four loss to UConn. -- Creme

25. Amaya Battle, Minnesota

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 11.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.6 APG

It's hard to single out one player with the balanced Gophers, whose top five scorers average between 12.9 and 11.1 points. But Battle gets the nod as their leader in rebounds and assists, and she made the shot that sent Minnesota to its first Sweet 16 since 2005. She had 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a 75-58 first-round victory over Green Bay, and then 14, 11 and five in the 65-63 second-round win over Ole Miss. Battle's baseline jump shot with under a second remaining against the Rebels sent the 4-seed Gophers to next try to tackle Goliath: No. 1 seed UCLA. In their Big Ten matchup -- a 76-58 Bruins victory on Jan. 14 -- Battle led the way for Minnesota with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. -- Voepel