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

4. Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina

The Gamecocks are still rolling and the team is so well-rounded that you could name several players who could snag the NPOY spot. However, Kamilla Cardoso has the best case of becoming the third South Carolina player to secure the Naismith Award in the last 10 years. She can not only finish with a Player of the Year award, but she, like Cameron Brink, is a Defensive POTY candidate. 

Cardoso is a solid athlete, holding top 20 spots in blocks, blocks per game, and field goal percentage nationally. Not only is she representing South Carolina, but her home country of Brazil, playing for the national team in the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers earlier this February. She's a rising star and should have a long professional career ahead of her even if she doesn't win this award.

3. Cameron Brink, Stanford

Cameron Brink is one-of-one in her craft, utilizing her size to be the leader in the nation in blocks with a total of 90 as of Feb. 23. Averaging 3.3 blocks per game, Brink is not only a Player of the Year candidate but has a chance to win Defensive Player of the Year if she and the Cardinal maintain their momentum.

With a possible top-three selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft ahead of her, she’s a surefire option to make it to the finalist panel for the Player of the Year slot. Not only that, but she could join Aliyah Boston in snagging a DPOY and POTY honor in the same year.

Brink leads a squad that can make a deep run in the big dance. We’ll have to keep an eye on her performances in the conference tournament to see how the remainder of her final year plays out, for her postseason award slate and her professional career.