LSU’s Mikaylah Williams named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award midseason watchlist

Mikaylah Williams has proven to be an impactful addition as a true freshman for the Tigers.

LSU’s women’s basketball team is once again off to a hot start in 2023-24, beginning the year 18-2 and 5-1 in SEC play.

While Angel Reese’s return and big transfer additions are a major reason for that, freshman addition [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] has also been a revelation. She’s earned multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors, including this past week, and on Tuesday she was named to the midseason watchlist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is given annually to the top shooting guard in women’s college basketball. Williams is one of 10 players who were named to the midseason watchlist.

Williams has started all 20 games for the Tigers and ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in points per game (16.5), field goal percentage (.500), three-point percentage (.444) and minutes played per game (31.4.)

She and the rest of the Tigers will be back in action on Thursday night for the biggest test of the regular season against No. 1 South Carolina. ESPN’s College GameDay will be in attendance as the Tigers take on the unbeaten Gamecocks and look to end their nation-leading 27-game road winning streak.

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Notre Dame ranked 10th in AP preseason poll

Good place to start the year, no?

The Associated Press has released its preseason poll for the 2023-24 women’s basketball season. With Notre Dame coming off an ACC regular-season championship and a Sweet 16 berth in the NCAA Tournament, not to mention most of the roster returning, it should come as no surprise to find the Irish in the No. 10 spot.

The ACC has plenty of representation in the poll. Only Virginia Tech ranks higher than the Irish at No. 8. North Carolina, Louisville and Florida State round out the conference representation in the 16th through 18th spots respectively. Programs receiving votes but not cracking the poll were NC State, Duke and Miami.

The AP story about the poll mentions [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] among the stars in women’s basketball and that she’s back from the ACL injury that kept her out of tournament competition last season. This comes fresh off Miles being named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list for the country’s top point guard. Meanwhile, Sonia Citron is on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list for the best shooting guard in the country.

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Sooners Taylor Robertson named AP All-American Honorable Mention

After a fantastic season, shooting guard Taylor Robertson was named an honorable mention to the AP All-American team.

Making their mark in the Big 12 and college basketball, the Oklahoma Sooners have had a tremendous season in Jennie Baranczyk’s first year at the helm. Taylor Robertson is one of several players that have had standout seasons for the Sooners, and she’s been rewarded. Robertson was named an AP All-American honorable mention.

Robertson averages 17 points per game for the Oklahoma Sooners, shooting 49% from the field and 45% from the three-point range. According to SoonerSports.com, Robertson is the first Sooner to collect an All-American since Aaryn Ellenberg in 2014 and is the 10th Sooner to be selected to an All-American team.

She was also named a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, given to the nation’s best shooting guard. Robertson leads the country in three-pointers made and is the first player from the Big 12 to post three seasons of 100 or more three-pointers.

With Ana Llanusa, the Sooners’ second-leading scorer, lost in November due to injury, Oklahoma needed Taylor Robertson to be a go-to player for this squad, and she’s delivered.

The Oklahoma Sooners get set for the opening round of the NCAA tournament this Saturday against IUPUI, hosting the first two rounds of the Bridgeport regional in Norman.

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