Top 25 Women's College Basketball Players for 2015-16 (I)

Counting Down The Best 25 Players In The Nation

Who are the most talented players in the country? Which ones do we expect big things from this coming season? After tallying the votes from Charlie Creme, Graham Hays, Michelle Smith and Mechelle Voepel, espnW counts down the best in the nation. Come back each day as we unveil five more players until No. 1 is named on Friday.

No. 25: Rebecca Greenwell, Duke, G, 6-1, redshirt sophomore

Greenwell, who will immediately become a floor leader for the Blue Devils this season, is one of the country's top perimeter shooters after just one year in Durham, taking 202 3-point attempts in 34 starts. Greenwell tied a school record with 28 games scoring double figures, and led the team at the free throw line, shooting 78.9 percent. Her biggest game of the season with a 20-point effort against Albany in the NCAA tournament, when she also hit a game-winning 3-pointer. -- Michelle Smith
2014-15 stats: 14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 72 3-pointers

No. 24: Azura Stevens, Duke, F, 6-6, sophomore

Stevens had a record-setting freshman season at Duke and will take on an even larger role with the graduation of Elizabeth Williams. Stevens set school records in field goals made (194), rebounds (271) and double-figure scoring games (28). An All-ACC second-team pick, Stevens is an athletic presence inside who can also shoot from the perimeter, hitting 13 3-pointers last season. -- Michelle Smith
2014-15 stats: 14.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 10 double-doubles

No. 23: Sydney Wiese, Oregon State, G, 6-1, junior

Stand next to her and you realize this junior who stands every bit of her listed height isn't the normal point guard. Then again, the same thought occurs watching her play the game. Wiese plays with a confidence that doesn't just border on swagger but owns a summer home there, yet it never slips into negative energy. She played the role of pass-first point guard as the team grew around her and won the Pac-12 a season ago, yet she still attempted nearly seven 3-pointers per game and did so with accuracy. -- Graham Hays
2014-15 stats: 5.6 APG, 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, 42 percent from 3-point

No. 22: Niya Johnson, Baylor, G, 5-8, senior

Teammate Nina Davis got deserved accolades as an All-American, but Johnson is also vital to Baylor. Johnson led the nation in assists last season at 8.9, and was second in assist-to-turnover ration at 4.13. She also led Baylor in minutes played at 33.3 per game. For her career, Johnson has 667 assists to just 180 turnovers. She has some big freshmen to pass to this season, and likely will look to score a little more herself. -- Mechelle Voepel
2014-15 stats: 7.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 8.9 APG

No. 21: Adut Bulgak, Florida State, C, 6-4, senior

In the 2013-14 season, Florida State's rebounding margin was plus-6.5. In 2014-15, the Seminoles ranked third best in the country with a differential on the boards of plus-12.3. Bulgak was at Trinity Valley Community College in 2014. She was in Tallahassee in 2015. Coincidence? Hardly. Bulgak helped transform the Seminoles from a solid ACC team capable of reaching the NCAA tournament into a conference power that was two possessions from the Final Four. Whether its rebounding, scoring or blocking shots, few players in the country are as effective as Bulgak in the paint. -- Charlie Creme
2014-15 stats: 12.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 49.2 field goal percent

No. 20: Lindsay Allen, Notre Dame, G, 5-8, junior

Just because she was good enough to start at point guard as a freshman for a national finalist doesn't mean we should always think of her that way. In football terms, since this is Notre Dame, Allen was a game manager surrounded by stars when she arrived in South Bend. A natural facilitator, she also proved a season ago she can be a game-winner. Her shot selection is impeccable and she can score going to the basket, from midrange or at the 3-point line. While quiet, she has a presence that teammates gravitate toward. -- Graham Hays
2014-15 stats: 5.3 APG, 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, 52 percent from the field

No. 19: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland, G, 5-11, junior

Walker-Kimbrough might be college basketball's version of baseball's five-tool player. She shoots it well from deep and can get into the lane off the dribble. She rebounds. She can finish on the fast break. And she is a good perimeter defender. Steady and dependable, Walker-Kimbrough is an athletic all-around player with no discernible weaknesses. She has learned how to play her best in big games, and now she must with the departures of Laurin Mincy and Lexie Brown from the Terps' backcourt. -- Charlie Creme
2014-15 stats: 13.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 51.3 field goal percent

No. 18: Courtney Williams, South Florida, G, 5-8, senior

Williams led the American Athletic Conference in scoring last season, and she broke the school single-season points record with 710. She's become a much better 3-point shooter, with 41 treys last year compared to 29 in her first two seasons combined. Williams' ability to rebound at a high level and her increased playmaking prowess, added to her scoring, should help guide South Florida back to the NCAA tournament. Last season, it advanced to the second round. -- Mechelle Voepel
2014-15 season: 20.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG

No. 17: Jonquel Jones, George Washington, F, 6-4, senior

You can say the Atlantic 10 doesn't get a lot of players like Jones, but in truth, neither does the ACC, where she began her career at Clemson. Or any other league, for that matter. Consider that in addition to ranking sixth nationally in rebounding and just outside the top 50 in blocks a season ago, Jones also tied for second on her own team in 3-pointers. Granted, the Colonials weren't a prolific 3-point shooting team, but the fact that someone her size can competently and comfortably stretch her game to the perimeter tells you what kind of talent her frame holds. -- Graham Hays
2014-15 stats: 15.3 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.9 BPG

No. 16: Jillian Alleyne, Oregon, F, 6-3, senior

The second-leading rebounder in the nation last season, Alleyne is a powerhouse on the boards who comes into her final season as the Pac-12's active scoring (1,637 points) and rebounding (1,344) leader. She posted 21 straight double-doubles between her sophomore and junior seasons, and starts 2015-16 with 69 for her career. Alleyne has led the Ducks in rebounding in 59 consecutive games dating back to her sophomore season. She will be the cornerstone of one of the Pac-12's toughest frontcourts, along with 6-foot-5 Jacinta Vandenberg. -- Michelle Smith
2014-15 stats: 18.4 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 57.6 field goal percent

No. 15: Leticia Romero, Florida State, G, 5-8, junior

Romero joined the Seminoles roster in late December 2014 after earning eligibility from the NCAA following her well-publicized transfer from Kansas State. And she made an immediate positive impact. A native of Spain, Romero was one of two players in the ACC to finish in the top 10 in field goal percentage (50.4) and assists (5.4) in conference play. And she became the second player in program history to record a triple-double. -- Michelle Smith
2014-15 stats: 11.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.3 APG




No. 14: Rachel Banham, Minnesota, G, 5-9 senior

Banham's knee injury a year ago ruined what might have been a complete rebirth of Minnesota basketball. The 2013-14 Big Ten scoring champ and 2014-15 preseason conference player of the year went down 10 games into last season with a torn ACL. A healthy Banham is dominating with the ball in her hand and can play either guard spot. She is already Minnesota's all-time leader in 3-point field goals and will pass Lindsay Whalen as the school's top scorer. -- Charlie Creme
2013-14 stats: 22.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, 42.1 percent from 3-point

No. 13: Ruth Hamblin, Oregon State, C, 6-6, senior

She didn't begin playing basketball until high school, but it's safe to say the engineering major with an interest in aerospace is a quick study. As someone who grew up on a ranch in northern British Columbia, with all the physical labor that involves, she's also nimble and strong. The returning leader in blocks among players in major conferences, Hamblin could stay on one end of the court and be an asset, but she continues to grow on the offensive end, both on the block and in the high post pick-and-rolls with Sydney Wiese. -- Graham Hays
2014-15 stats: 12.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 3.8 BPG

No. 12: Alaina Coates, South Carolina, C, 6-4, junior

She's started just six of the 70 games of her South Carolina career, but she's had a starter's impact. Last season, she was named to the SEC's all-defensive team and was the most outstanding player of the Greensboro Regional. Coates had a very strong NCAA tournament, averaging 14.0 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 68.4 percent in the Gamecocks' five contests. Coates, whose stamina improved her sophomore season, has 126 career blocked shots. -- Mechelle Voepel
2014-15 stats: 11.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 56.2 field goal percent

No. 11: Aerial Powers, Michigan State, F, 6-0, junior

She is to talent what West Texas is to wind. There is plenty of it, it's already productive -- and look out if it's ever completely harnessed. She has few equals athletically. She ranked seventh in the nation in rebounding a season ago but has an all-court game as comfortable at the 3-point line or taking defenders off the dribble as it is in the paint. The only thing holding her back at times is a tendency to get ahead of herself, as nearly five turnovers per game and inefficient shooting percentages hint. -- Graham Hays
2014-15 stats: 21.9 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 2.2 SPG

No. 10: Kelsey Plum, Washington, G, 5-8, junior

Plum is one of the top offensive players in the country after a stellar sophomore season and will be counted on even more as an upperclassman. She finished seventh in the nation in scoring in 2014-15 and became the program's single-season scoring leader with 746 points, also setting the single-game scoring record with 45 points against Oklahoma. Plum, who averaged nearly 37 minutes a game last season, has also stepped up on the defensive end, finishing with a career-best 51 steals. -- Michelle Smith
2014-15 stats: 22.6 PPG, 3.2 APG, 89.6 free throw percent




No. 9: Morgan Tuck, Connecticut,F, 6-2, junior

Tuck had existed a bit under the radar in the very successful UConn program. Knee injuries during her first two seasons in Storrs were largely responsible for the lack of notoriety for the former McDonald's All American, but a healthy Tuck is an efficient and dominant inside player. Her 25 points and nine rebounds in a December win at Notre Dame ignited a season that ended in all-conference honors in the American and another national title, one that would not have been possible without her. -- Charlie Creme
2014-15 stats: 14.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 59.6 field goal percent

No. 8: A'ja Wilson, South Carolina, F, 6-5, sophomore

The highly touted recruit from Columbia, South Carolina, stayed home to play college ball and had an outstanding first season. She was SEC freshman of the year and was on the all-conference team, even though she started just once. She had 65 blocked shots. Nobody had a bigger game in the national semifinals for South Carolina than Wilson: 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, with nine rebounds in the loss to Notre Dame. -- Mechelle Voepel
2014-15 stats: 13.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 53.8 field goal percent

No. 7: Brianna Turner, Notre Dame, F, 6-3, sophomore

Turner was supposed to get another season as the Irish's No. 2 option. Then Jewell Loyd opted for the WNBA and Turner is not only recognized as Notre Dame's best player, but also the best in the ACC. Turner's ability around the basket is a perfect fit for the Notre Dame system. She's a finisher, and Muffet McGraw's offense is designed to create opportunity. Turner made nearly twice as many shots as she missed as a rookie. Her 2.5 blocked shots per game also helped erase mistakes at the other end. -- Charlie Creme
2014-15 stats: 2014-15: 13.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 65.2 field goal percent

No. 6: Diamond DeShields, Tennessee, G, 6-1, sophomore

After leading North Carolina to the Elite Eight in 2014, DeShields decided to leave Chapel Hill for Knoxville, and Tennessee was thrilled to get her. DeShields can score from anywhere and possesses the kind of star power that the Lady Vols haven't had since Candace Parker left in 2008. One knock on DeShields at North Carolina was the times she seemed to play 1-on-5, but she's an older, wiser player who has had a year of learning Tennessee's system. -- Mechelle Voepel
2013-14 stats: 18.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.6 APG

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