Princeton had one of its best seasons in school history last year, breaking into the AP Top 25 and knocking No. 6
Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round. Meyers was an instrumental part of the Tigers’ success, leading them with 17.9 points per game on 45 percent shooting to win the Ivy League Player of the Year. Meyers, who is a lifelong Terps fan originally from Potomac, Md., entered the transfer portal after last season and signed to play for Brenda Frese. With the departures of guards
Ashley Owusu to the transfer portal and
Katie Benzan and
Chloe Bibby running out of eligibility, Meyers can slide right into a starting role for her hometown team. Though she’ll face stiffer competition in the Big Ten, one of the most competitive conferences in women’s basketball, Meyers has the shooting pedigree to be a main fixture in Maryland’s offense.
Iowa had big expectations heading into the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Led by the dynamic scoring duo of
Caitlin Clark and Czinano, who combined for 48 points per game, the
Hawkeyes ran into a defensive wall otherwise known as Creighton in the second round. Still, Czinano put forth a herculean effort with 27 points and six rebounds, cementing herself as Iowa’s unwavering center for another season. Throughout her time with the Hawkeyes, Czinano has improved in every statistical category. She averaged 16.2 points as a sophomore and last season was up to 21.2 points per game as she’s become increasingly central to the Hawkeyes’ offense. Czinano’s player efficiency rating (36) is the highest it has been in her college career. As a fifth-year player, Czinano not only gets another run with Clark, she’ll have another go at the NCAA Tournament and a chance to increase her WNBA Draft stock.
8. Caitlin Clark, Iowa
When Iowa was eliminated early in last season’s NCAA Tournament, no one felt the burn more than Clark. She led the nation with 27 points and eight assists per game. But with the ball always in her hands, Clark had to work excruciatingly hard just to get a shot off, and she needs more help in the backcourt.
Central Michigan transfer
Molly Davis, who averaged 18.6 points and 4.7 assists per game last season, could be the answer. With Davis sharing duties bringing up and distributing the ball, Clark is free to run off screens and get more open looks. And more often than not,
Clark doesn’t miss an open look. This pairing could mean big things for the Hawkeyes, especially with Czinano locking down the paint.
3. Diamond Miller, Maryland
It almost seems as if someone put a hex on Maryland before the start of the 2021-2022 season. Coach Brenda Frese and the Terps dealt with injuries, a short bench and the eventual transfer of three players — Reese, Owusu and
Mimi Collins (to NC State). Miller had a disappointing junior season as she played through a knee injury and sat out 10 games. But this coming season might be the end of the curse. Miller is healthy and should have similar production as her sophomore season, when she averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. She’ll be Maryland’s leader in the locker room and the go-to player on the floor alongside transfer additions Meyers (Princeton), Lavender Briggs (Florida) and
Elisa Pinzan (South Florida). Without Reese and Owusu, who led the Terps in scoring last season, the scene is set for Miller to have a big senior year.
