NCAAW Player of the Year Rankings: It's a wide open field

Now that the college basketball season is officially rolling, we are going to be releasing weekly women's Player of the Year rankings. Here's how it will work: Every week we will go over two players who are making a great case for Player of the Year. Then, the third spot will go to a wildcard, dark horse, or someone we think will be in the conversation. Let's do it!

Paige Bueckers: UConn Huskies (Redshirt Senior)

Paige Bueckers, affectionately known as Paige Buckets by fans, is a women's basketball prodigy. Since her freshman season, Bueckers has proved she has elite basketball IQ and versatility on the court. Last season, UConn struggled with injuries and often played with a depleted roster. It got so bad that Bueckers had to step in and play as a forward/center for a few games despite being a point/shooting guard. Now in her fifth overall college season, she is making up for lost time, having missed her junior season with an ACL injury.

Bueckers has propelled UConn to a 6-0 start in non-conference play, and the program is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest AP polls. She's currently averaged a career-high 22 points per game, adding 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game to that impressive stat sheet. The prospective No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, Bueckers hasn't even seemed to have turned it all the way up this season. UConn has only faced two ranked teams so far, UNC and Ole Miss, and has yet to face another top-10 team. Her first real tests are coming in the month of December, as the Huskies prepare to play Notre Dame, Iowa State, and USC. Still, Bueckers is already proving she's a force in the sport.

Hannah Hidalgo: Notre Dame (Sophomore)

Hannah Hidalgo didn't miss a best between her ferocious freshman season and a fiery start to her sophomore season. Notre Dame has unfortunately had a small slip in the past week, losing their first two games this season and dropping to a no.10 ranking overall, but Hidalgo has been playing great so far regardless.

The Fighting Irish had a huge win over USC a few weeks ago that allowed the country to get a close look at Hildalgo's advanced skills despite being a sophomore. She is averaging 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a wild 4.6 steals per game this season. She's also shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range and 45.7 percent from the field. A threat on both sides of the ball, Hidalgo is rising in ranks from promising freshman to all-star player and future lottery pick.

Wildcard: Syla Swords: Michigan (Freshman)

Syla Swords has burst onto the college scene in Ann Arbor and has already helped her Wolverines achieve a No. 23 ranking in the latest AP Poll. Swords is the highest-ranked recruit in program history and is already using her experience as an Olympian with Team Canada to her benefit. Michigan is currently 7-1, their only loss coming against South Carolina. In that game, Swords made her college debut with a 27-point, 12-rebound performance that launched her into national news. Since then, she has scored in double digits in every game, and most recently scored 24 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals to help her team win the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament, winning MVP of the tournament.

While the freshman may not be as high in the Player of Year conversations as Bueckers and Hidalgo, she's already making her case for National Freshman of the Year. Her play so far has allowed Michigan to be ranked for the first time since the 2022-23 season, and she is only going to improve with time and experience.