Strong, Watkins Headline AP Preseason All-America Team

UConn forward Sarah Strong and USC guard JuJu Watkins headline the five-player Associated Press preseason All-America team, joined by Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes, Texas forward Madison Booker and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo. Strong was the leading vote-getter with 30 of 31 votes after averaging 18.4 points and 7.7 rebounds and leading UConn to the Final Four. Watkins received 26 votes as she returns after missing the 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn ACL; before the injury, she won major national Player of the Year awards after averaging 23.9 points per game. Booker and Hidalgo each received 28 votes, while Blakes earned 27; Hidalgo and Booker were named to the preseason team for the third straight year.