Women's college basketball National Player of the Year Power Rankings

8. Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech

One of the Queens of the Cassel, Liz Kitley is 6-foot-6 inches of defense and offense and an all-around stud in the post. Finishing her final home game with a career-high 34 points over UNC, Kitley is a surefire pick for the final round of nominees for Naismith POTY and DPOY. It helps that the Hokies are on a 10-game winning streak, thanks to the conference-leading rebounder in Kitley. 

Not only does she lead in rebounds, but field goals and double-doubles. Her presence is a force on both ends of the ball. Add teammate Georgia Amoore to the mix, and you can see why the Hokies collected the regular season ACC title.

7. Alissa Pili, Utah

With a 20-win season going into the final week of February, the Utes have found a gem in Pili. She is ranked in the top 100 in eight statistical categories. She’s gone four games straight with more than 15 points, even catapulting the Utes past USC and fellow watchlist candidate JuJu Watkins. This shows that not only will the Pac-12 be a battle to the end, but the Naismith Trophy is anyone’s award. 

Pili is a one-of-a-kind post with the ability to utilize her size and strength to score almost at will. Her journey from USC to Utah has helped the Utes to a ranking of 18th in the AP Polls, jumping up four spots and prime position for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.