Roughly a month into the 2023-24 NCAA season, many individuals have stood out throughout their collegiate careers, and a handful have hit new heights as upperclassmen.

Who are the players that you need to know about, and what makes them stand out?

Aaliyah Edwards

Edwards has improved every single year in Storrs. Making an impact from day one, she earned Big East Sixth Woman of the Year as a freshman, Big East Most Improved as a sophomore, and Third Team All-American as a junior.

A frontcourt player who’s spent most of her time at the 4, Edwards impresses with versatility. She can step out and hit long mid-range shots, face up, attack the basket, and attack from the post. She’s a good screener and passer at her position, vital in UConn’s motion-heavy offense.

What stands out is what you can’t teach about her game: her timing and knack for the ball. She’s always the first person to the ball, whether it be a rebound, a steal, or diving for a 50/50 ball. She has excellent defensive positioning with active hands and can play multiple ball screen coverages well. 

Edwards does seemingly everything at an above-average level, inherently a skill in and of itself.

As UConn looks to reignite its season after a challenging non-conference schedule and injuries, Aaliyah Edwards will undoubtedly play a significant part.

Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark is the premier playmaker in college basketball, pushing Iowa forward to the National Championship this past season with a dynamic run in March.

When I say playmaker, it’s twofold.

She is one of the best shooters on Earth; dynamic coming off of screens, money off the catch, has unlimited range, and will let it fly pulling up from the logo in transition. Her release is remarkably snappy; it takes just a second to get the ball off. She is always a threat on or off the ball.

Clark takes the notion that she has to be constantly guarded, blends it with her court vision and handles, and dots the floor with crisp passes. 

Her kick-ahead passing in transition jumpstarts Iowa’s offense. She puts high velocity on the ball and is adept at hitting the receiver’s shooting pocket. Clark can make the simple reads overhead if she draws two defenders and whips the ball across the court if there’s an overhelping backline defender. If there is a shift in the defense, she spots it quickly and precisely attacks it herself or by moving the ball.

There is no secret sauce to defending Clark, and that’s a credit to just how dynamic she is as an offensive player.

Cameron Brink

Brink has developed into a versatile post player at Stanford, playing at a high level as a senior during the Pac-12’s final season. A key contributor to Stanford’s national title team as a freshman, she’s blossomed into a go-to player as an upperclassman.

In 22 minutes per game this season, Brink is averaging 18.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, and four combined steals and blocks.* This stands out, as Stanford is top 20 in the country in strength of schedule according to Basketball Reference.

Brink can stretch the floor, effective as a pick-and-pop player who can also attack off the bounce. She gets to the line at a high level, as she’s adept at playing with force and using her length to draw contact, where she’s also improved at finishing through contact. Brink is shooting 62.5% on twos this year, a career-high.

She’s a strong post player who also excels in making plays within the flow of an offense; she’ll have 2 or 3 passes every game that just pop.

Her two-way play is dynamic when you take her offensive skill set, and she’s one of the best defensive players in college basketball.

At 6’4, Brink moves her feet well on the perimeter, but her ability to lock down the paint with rim protection is perhaps the most significant part of her game. On top of that, she cleans the glass incredibly well, grabbing 27.3% of the total available rebounds when she’s on the court.

Kamilla Cardoso

Cardoso is one of the tallest players in college basketball at 6’7 and combines that with deft touch inside the arc and an evolving skill set. She was the country’s most productive and impactful bench player last season. She has impressively increased her impact in a more prominent role as a starter this season, playing like an All-American for South Carolina.

Cardoso is a dominant shot-blocker who’s shown versatility as a defender, able to hedge out and recover. She runs the floor like a guard consistently, sealing early and putting easy points on the board.

She rebounds at a ridiculous rate, currently corralling 19.9% of total rebounds when she’s on the court, 3rd in the SEC.*

One of my favorite parts of her game is how soft her hands are; she has a massive catch radius on lobs and post-entry passes, but it doesn’t matter much if you can’t catch those passes consistently and gather the ball. She’s proficient at making herself available, easily catching, and attacking immediately. She deserves immense credit for how well she protects the ball.

That parlays further, as Cardoso is simply one of the most efficient players in the game.

She is lethal around the basket, fluid going into her finishes around the rim, and has good footwork that’s essential to her crafting openings when she consistently draws two and three defenders.

Cardoso’s ball-moving ability is another part of what also makes her such an impactful post player. If there isn’t a clean look and she draws the defense, she can make the correct read and kick the ball. She works effectively in high lows with other bigs. Few can match her impact and effectiveness on the court.

Rickea Jackson

Rickea Jackson has been limited for Tennessee by injury and illness but is on the brink of a memorable season, and her best yet if the first two games played are any indication.

Jackson has a rare combination of size, skill, athleticism, and awareness. She knows where to be, gets there at the right time, and consistently makes the right plays on both ends of the ball.

She’s dynamic defensively, capable of clamping multiple positions on the ball, impacting shots in the lanes as a help defender, and finishing out possessions as a rebounder. She has the coordination and handle to push the break or bring the ball up when she snags rebounds.

When you take that base foundation of a highly well-rounded player who can handle both forward spots and add the scoring versatility on the offensive end, it’s easy to understand why she was All-SEC this past season and crucial to Tennessee’s success.

Jackson can stretch the floor to the three, run pick-and-rolls, screen, and roll for ballhandlers herself. She can post up and drive the basketball and has a legitimate touch from the mid-range and around the basket. Jackson is physical and on balance, capable of finishing through contact and drawing fouls.

She does it all as a scorer and does it incredibly well. When she gets the ball in the middle of the floor with a chance to attack a mismatch, Jackson is at her finest; she also moves the ball well when she draws the defense.

It’s rare to find players who bring the skill set Rickea Jackson does, and I can’t wait to watch her come back, hopefully soon, and finish her senior season strong for the Vols.

Edwards, Clark, Brink, Cardoso, and Jackson have not declared, but are eligible for the 2024 WNBA Draft.

*as of 12/6/2023

Paige Bueckers has been removed from the article, as she has announced her return to UConn.