- NCAA. Paige Bueckers enters the WNBA as a champion and ready to be Caitlin Clark's top rival
- NCAA. Vanessa Bryant's powerful tribute to Gigi after UConn's national title win
When the NCAA revealed the 2025 Women's All-Tournament Team following UConn's statement win over South Carolina in the national championship game, few were surprised to seePaige Bueckers right at the top. The UConn star was electric throughout March Madness, and her 17-point, six-rebound performance in the title game capped off a sensational tournament run.
ing her were teammates Azzi Fudd and freshman Sarah Strong, who both delivered huge performances in the championship. Fudd racked up 24 points, while Strong put up 24 and 15 in what was arguably her national coming-out party.
Also earning All-Tournament nods were South Carolina's freshman forward Joyce Edwards and UCLA's Lauren Betts, who anchored the Bruins to an unexpected Final Four appearance. But amid the recognition came a surprising omission: USC's Juju Watkins, one of the brightest young stars in women's college basketball, didn't make the list.
Watkins' snub has fans asking questions
Watkins averaged 27.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and nearly 4 assists during the tournament, leading USC to its first Elite Eight in over three decades. Her 36-point explosion in the Sweet 16 was one of the standout performances of the entire postseason. Yet when the NCAA dropped its official All-Tournament graphic on social media, her name was nowhere to be found.
The reaction was swift. ESPN's Rebecca Lobo called the decision "shocking," while The Athletic ran a headline dubbing it "a head-scratcher." On X, fans flooded the NCAA's post with comments like "Where's Juju?" and "You forgot the best player in L.A."
While Bueckers was a lock-averaging over 28 points through the early rounds, including a ridiculous 40-point game against Oklahoma-Watkins' absence raises real questions about how these honors are decided.
Recognition matters, but for Bueckers, ending her college career with a national title is the real prize. "This is everything we worked for," she said after the game. "It feels unreal."
Still, as the dust settles from another unforgettable March, one name will keep coming up in conversations around this year's All-Tournament Team-not because she made it, but because somehow, she didn't.