Top 3 SEC freshman performers in women's college basketball this season

The SEC has been an absolute gauntlet for women's basketball during the 2024-25 season.

With eight teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and nine projected to make the NCAA Tournament, there is no easy stretch or night off in the SEC. However, a handful of young players have still managed to stand out in the country's most loaded conference.

1. Mikayla Blakes, G, Vanderbilt

Blakes has been an absolute force for the Commodores, who currently sit at No. 24 in the national poll. She is averaging 22.1 points per game, which is the second-best mark in the conference, while also contributing 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

She has three games of 30+ points, including a 53-point outburst against the Florida Gators on Jan. 30. Blakes can also get it done on the defensive end of the floor at just 5'8", as the Somerset, New Jersey native averages 2.4 steals per game, which is the sixth-most in the conference.

2. Liv McGill, G, Florida

Although the Gators are one of the league's weaker teams, McGill's freshman campaign has given the program a sense of optimism for the future. The 5-foot-9 guard from Minneapolis, Minnesota has done it all for Florida this season, averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds per contest.

McGill is a top-15 scorer in the conference but also ranks fourth in the SEC in assists. Her best performance of the year came against the Missouri Tigers where she recorded a 21-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. If she can take care of the ball better, she may be one of the league's top guards as early as next season.

3. Joyce Edwards, F, South Carolina

Edwards, a 6-foot-3 forward from Camden, South Carolina, has been a stable presence for the Gamecocks this season as she is averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on an incredibly talented South Carolina squad.

Her best game was a 21-point, 6-rebound performance on the road against No. 19 Alabama on Jan. 16. If she can continue to contribute at this level, South Carolina has a legitimate shot to win back-to-back championships. Her role should grow as players graduate as well, and this experience as a freshman will have been invaluable.