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Hannah Hidalgo’s our ladyLauren Bates UCLA and madison booker texas The titles of the Associated Press All-America women’s college basketball team were released Tuesday.
All three were first-team All-Americans last spring after stellar seasons. He joined the preseason team this year YukonSarah Strong and South CarolinaTa’Nia Latson. Latson transferred to the Gamecocks this year after spending the first three years of her career at Florida State.
Hidalgo and Bates each earned 29 votes from the 31-member national media panel that picks the AP Top 25 each week. Strong received 28 votes while Booker received 23 and Lattson received 14 votes.
Hidalgo is coming off a season in which the talented guard became the fourth sophomore to earn All-America honors in his first two years. USC’s JuJu Watkins also accomplished the feat last season, but is out this year while she recovers from a torn ACL she suffered in the NCAA Tournament. Courtney Paris and Maya Moore were also All-Americans in their first two seasons.
Hidalgo averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Fighting Irish last season. With the loss of the other four starters to the WNBA or transfer portal she will play a bigger role this season.
“I know it weighs heavy, the crown is very heavy,” Notre Dame coach Neal Ivey said. “But I feel like she’s done a great job of surrounding herself with the right network, the Notre Dame network, but also her family. She’s very connected to her family and her faith.”
Bates, a senior, helped UCLA reach No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history last season. The 6-foot-7 center averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds and led the Bruins to their first Final Four before losing to Strong and UConn.
Strong had a sensational freshman season for the Huskies, helping them win the school’s 12th national championship. He averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, and coach Geno Auriemma said he’s even better this year. UConn is ranked No. 1 in the preseason top 25.
“Every day, there’s not a day that goes by that Coach and I don’t look at each other and say, ‘Man, there’s something about him right now,'” Auriemma said. “I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to practicing to see what’s next, some of the things she can do.”
Latson led the nation in scoring last season at Florida State, averaging 25.2 points per game. With one year of eligibility remaining, it’s not just about trying to win a national championship, but also getting ready for the WNBA. Coach Dawn Staley has had considerable success drafting professionals, including four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.
Latson will face Booker at least once this season in the SEC. The Longhorns’ junior wing averaged 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season. Booker helped Texas reach the Final Four last season before the Longhorns lost to South Carolina.
Bates, Hidalgo and Booker were all first-team All-Americans last spring while Latson and Strong were on the second team. The AP began releasing a preseason All-America team prior to the 1994–95 season.
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AP Women’s College Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll