For the last half-decade or so, we've been spoiled in women's college basketball by what's felt like a never ending stream of freshmen who hit the ground running. I was a little worried before this season that the 2025-26 freshman class wouldn't deliver in the same way, as it lacked some of the hype we've seen in recent years.
With about a month left in the regular season, it's safe to say that this freshman class has exceeded those expectations. From LSU's young duo to Oklahoma breakout star Aaliyah Chavez, this season has seen a number of strong performances from first-year players.
10. Naomi White - Northern Arizona
I love mid-majors, so while Northern Arizona's Naomi White might not technically be the 10th-best freshman if we're talking about talent in a vacuum, her strong play this season is worth mentioning.
White is averaging 22.3 points per game while also adding 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. She's turning the ball over a little too much, but the 5-foot-9 guard has still been a major contributor for the Lumberjacks. Yes, the team is just 7-14 on the year, but White's the only reason that record isn't significantly worse. The team has a -7.3 net rating with White on the court, which isn't good...but it's far better than the -55.2 net rating when she's on the bench.
9. ZaKiyah Johnson - LSU
The future is bright in Baton Rouge as Kim Mulkey's team is the only one with two players on this list. We start with ZaKiyah Johnson, who has been one of the most efficient freshman scorers in the nation.
Johnson's effective field goal percentage of 61.8 percent ranks in the 98th percentile among Division I players, fueled in large part by her ability to score at the rim. Johnson is shooting 69.5 percent in the restricted area, 12.5 percent better than the Division I average. Shot selection is also key here as 69.9 percent of her field goal attempts have come at the rim.
8. Jaliya Davis - Kansas
Unfortunately for Kansas, Jaliya Davis missed much of the early stages of the season with a leg injury, but since her return, she's been playing incredible basketball.
Davis scored 21 points against West Virginia in her first game back. Since then, she's failed to hit the 20-point mark just once and even exploded for 30 points against Oklahoma State. She's been an elite inside scorer, shooting an absurd 74.2 percent at the rim this season.
7. Uche Izoje - Syracuse
A common theme among freshman who've transitioned to the college game effectively this year is size and inside scoring. Syracuse' 6-foot-3 big Uche Izoje is another player in this vein.
Izoje is shooting 75.2 percent at the rim, though her overall shooting numbers drop a bit because she's taking a few too many mid-range attempts, going just 10-for-34 on those. Still, her effective field goal percentage ranks in the 89th percentile and she's been one of the best shot blockers in the nation, with a 10.3 percent block rate, which ranks in the 99th percentile among Division I players.
6. Blanca Quinonez - UConn
Blanca Quinonez isn't your usual freshman. The 6-foot-2 forward played professionally in Italy since 2020 before coming over to the U.S. to play for UConn. While in Italy, she was named the Serie A1 Best Young Player in 2022.
Quinonez might go a bit unnoticed on a UConn team with big names like Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, but she's been a key component of this Huskies bench unit. Her 10.7 points per game rank third on the team and she's scoring efficiently inside and outside.
2P% | Percentile | 3P% | Percentile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Blanca Quinonez | 65.3 | 98th | 40.4 | 91st |
With Fudd off to the pro game after this season, UConn can rest assured that it has someone who can step in as Strong's running mate next season.
5. Grace Knox - LSU
Johnson has been good, but I'd argue that Grace Knox has been LSU's best freshman. She's been even more efficient than Johnson with a 99th-percentile effective field goal percentage and has also been an elite offensive rebounder, with an offensive rebounding rate in the 96th percentile.
Knox gives an LSU program that entered the season with questions about frontcourt depth a solid inside piece. While she still needs to develop more as a rim protector, she's already capable of giving LSU important minutes on the interior.
4. Jazzy Davidson - USC
The JuJu Watkins injury robbed us of getting to see this USC team at full strength, but it has given freshman Jazzy Davidson a chance to shine as the Trojans' lead scorer.
Efficiency has been an issue as have turnovers, but Davidson has made up for that in other ways.
Per Game | Percentile | |
|---|---|---|
Points | 16.0 | 97th |
Assists | 4.0 | 96th |
Steals | 1.8 | 92nd |
Blocks | 2.5 | 99th |
The hope here is that with Watkins back next season, Davidson will start getting more open looks, allowing her to score more effectively on a per play basis and transforming the 26-27 Trojans into legitimate title contenders.
3. Lauren Whittaker - Gonzaga
Gonzaga has been a WCC power for years, but roster turnover looked like it could pose major issues this season. And it has, a bit, as the Bulldogs are only 14-7 on the year. However, at 6-2 in conference play, the team is very much alive in the WCC title hunt, and freshman Lauren Whittaker has been a huge part of that.
Whittaker leads the team in scoring at 20.1 points per game. She's also added 10.3 rebounds per contest, making her one of just two players in Division I to average at least 20 and 10, along with Western Illinois' Mia Nicastro. If you haven't had a chance to watch Gonzaga play, you need to find the time.
2. Aubrey Galvan - Vanderbilt
Last year's breakout freshman was Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes. This year's biggest surprise might be her teammate, Aubrey Galvan.
Khamil Pierre was a great complement to Blakes last season, but chose to transfer to NC State this offseason. That left the Commodores in a tough spot, because it's hard to win in the SEC with just one elite player. Luckily, Galvan was ready to shine immediately. She's tied with Justine Pissott for second on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game, but her big value has come as a ball-handler, as she's averaging 6.3 assists per contest. Her 3.0 steals don't hurt either; combined with Blakes' 3.1 steals, Vanderbilt's guard defense has been a huge positive, helping Vanderbilt get off to one of the best starts in the nation.
1. Aaliyah Chavez - Oklahoma
Aaliyah Chavez was 5-for-18 from the floor in her collegiate debut, then 4-for-16 one game later in a loss to UCLA. It prompted takes on social media about her lack of readiness for the college game.
But since then, she's only shot below 30 percent two other times. Her overall efficiency remains a bit of an issue, but Chavez has something going for her that no other freshman has consistently shown yet: a feel for The Moment. Chavez is already someone who you want shooting the ball in big moments. She's someone who can get out and make a momentum-shifting play on the fastbreak. She's got this elite quality about her that screams "future top-five player in college basketball, at minimum." This is a strong freshman class, but Chavez stands at the head of it.