Some players are elite right off the bat in college. Look at Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes. She's become one of the nation's best players this season, but she was already such a gifted scorer as a freshman that it's hard to really say she's taken a leap. She was already a great player.
But other players take a little time to reveal their full potential. It's not that they were bad earlier in their careers or anything; it's simply that this season, they've made improvements that feel a little bigger than anticipated. These five players feel especially improved this season.
Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
Jaloni Cambridge was really good as a freshman, but she had the luxury of only having to be the No. 2 option on the team thanks to Cotie McMahon, plus Chance Gray and Taylor Thierry helped make things easier for her as well.
One year later, Gray is the only one of those three who remains a Buckeye, which has meant Cambridge has been asked to do significantly more. Luckily for Ohio State, the sophomore has been up for the task. Her 22.5 points per game ranks seventh in the nation, and of the top 10 scorers in the nation, Cambridge ranks fourth in assists. She's been tasked with doing a bit of everything for the Buckeyes and the results have been strong.
Cambridge's efficiency has been a big plus. She shoots above Division I average — sometimes by a lot — from each major zone. She's 17.7 percent above average, for example, in midrange field goal percentage, and her put pressure on at the rim despite being just 5-foot-7 makes her really tough to guard.
Toby Fournier, Duke
Toby Fournier was a key piece off the bench last season for Duke. Despite not starting a game, her 13.2 points per contest led the team. Now, as a full-time starter on a team that looks a lot different from how it did last year, Fournier is once again leading the Blue Devils in scoring, this time at 17.7 points per game.
Fournier has been especially impressive since ACC play began. Duke is 11-0 in conference games, and Fournier has averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks on 56.5 percent shooting across those 11 contests. After a slow start to the season, Duke is playing like a top 10 team at the moment, with Fournier being a huge part of that.
Just look at her on/off numbers:
Offensive Rating | Defensive Rating | Net Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
Fournier On Court | 107.7 | 82.2 | 25.5 |
Fournier Off Court | 101.7 | 84.3 | 17.5 |
I'm not sure there's a single team that I find more interesting at the moment than Duke, because the season started off so rough and has been completely transformed since. Could this team have an outside shot at being a Final Four team? Maybe, and Fournier is the primary reason for that.
Avery Howell, Washington
One of the first signs that USC was in for a down year was Avery Howell's decision to transfer after a strong freshman season. With JuJu Watkins injured, Howell apparently viewed leaving as the right call, and almost a year later, it's hard to say she was wrong. While both programs are basically in the same tier at the moment, Howell has really had a chance to shine at Washington.
After starting just three games as a freshman for the Trojans, Howell has currently started every Washington game. She's averaging 13.3 points per game and has improved her field goal percentage from 43.1 percent to 48.0 percent this season.
Howell has been especially good from deep, connecting on 41.7 percent of her looks from 3-point range. Her volume and efficiency have both risen.
3PM | 3PA | 3P% | |
|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 39.9 |
2025-26 | 2.4 | 5.8 | 41.7 |
Add in growth as a rebounder and an absurdly good 72.5 percent field goal percentage on shows at the rim, and I think it's safe to say Howell's decision to head to Washington was a good one.
Clara Silva, TCU
Over the past couple of seasons, we learned that centers really thrive in Mark Campbell's system at TCU. Or, rather, we learned that Sedona Prince did at least, but I suppose there was some question heading into this season about whether the extreme efficiency we saw from Prince was because she was a uniquely good player or if it had more to do with Campbell setting the players up for success.
Clara Silva has shown that it's probably more the latter, though that shouldn't discount how she's played this season for the Horned Frogs.
PPG | TRB | BLK | FG% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 (Kentucky) | 4.0 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 56.5 |
2025-26 (TCU) | 10.0 | 7.8 | 1.9 | 61.5 |
Obviously, an increase in playing time helps here, as does the fact that Silva is playing with an elite playmaker in Olivia Miles. But Silva getting to play in a system that emphasizes getting the ball inside to its tallest player is huge for her development. 73.7 percent of her attempts have been at the rim, up from a shockingly low 17.4 percent last year. She was taking far too many midrange shots at Kentucky, considering she's 6-foot-7.
Liv McGill, Florida
Liv McGill's freshman season at Florida really flew under the radar. During the 2024-25 campaign, McGill averaged 16.5 points. 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game, but the Gators missed the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row.
More than likely, the 2025-26 season will extend that streak to five seasons. The Gators are 13-11 at the moment, but 12 of those wins came in non-conference play, as the team is just 1-8 in SEC contests.
Let's not make the mistake, though, of ignoring McGill's season again, as she's taken another leap as a scorer. Her 22.5 points per game rank eighth in the nation, and she is also 16th in assists and 32nd in steals per game.
Efficiency is a concern for McGill, but it's hard to blame her too much for that, as she's been saddled with such a heavy load in Gainesville. Her 34.2 percent usage rate is the 15th-highest in Division I. Hopefully, Florida can surround her with more talent next season so she can be a bit more selective with her shots.