The regular season is about to end and the most anticipated part of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament – the March Madness – is about to start. Teams would be getting ready to give their best and rely on their core players when they need them the most.

With such preparation in place, here are five women’s basketball athletes to keep an eye on who can turn the tide in their favor during crucial situations:-

Caitlin Clark, Iowa Hawkeyes

Caitlin Clark has been an absolute stunner to watch this season. She recently surpassed NCAA icon Kelsey Plum and now is the all time leading scorer in women’s college basketball. Clark has such immense fame that wherever she plays most of the gymnasiums are a complete sell-out. In other words, it can also be said that Clark has been an icon like no other and has been instrumental in getting rapid changes in how college basketball is perceived.

The 22-year-old will therefore be one of the most noteworthy players in the upcoming elimination round. Clark already has an average of 32.4 points per game with 7 rebounds per match and 8.5 assists per contest. The Hawkeyes will definitely on their best player and it will be interesting to watch if Clark can win an NCAA title something she hasn’t achieved despite breaking numerous records.

Angel Reese, Louisiana State University Lady Tigers

The LSU Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese is one of the most loved college basketball players. She is known for double-doubles and the power to shapeshift games to her advantage. Even in this season, Reese has an average of 19.4 points per match with 12.8 rebounds per contest. Reese therefore averages a double-double and if stats are to be believed the Lady Tigers can clinch back-to-back titles relying on their star player.

Reese’s major performances came against the Alabama Crimson Tide when she shattered 27 points and another against the Queen University Royals when she smashed 28 points. Apart from that she has 17 double-doubles to her name this season. Riding on her heroics, the Lady Tigers are going strong with a 23-4 tally and occupy the second spot in the SEC 10-3 record in the conference round.

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Much like the previous season, this season too Reese can change the course of crucial games in LSU’s favor and she will be difficult to stop once she gets going in the March Madness.

Paige Bueckers, University of Connecticut Huskies

The University of Connecticut Huskies suffered a major setback when their guard Azzi Fudd was injured but thanks to another guard Paige Bueckers who has taken on the onus for the team. Bueckers has been the alpha this season for the Huskies and has helped them have an astounding 23-5 record. The Huskies occupy the numero uno spot in the Big East. Bueckers has thrashed 20.1 points per game with 4.6 rebounds per match.

Other than that, her shooting skills have also been top-notch. In all, Bueckers has smoked 53.1% field goal percentage with 43.2% three-pointer percentage. She has also been instrumental in throttling 85% free throw percentage. Two of her most dominant performances this season have come against the Seton Hall Pirates when she smashed 32 points and another against the UCLA Bruins when she dropped 31 points. The Huskies take full advantage of having a star in their lineup and who knows they might also win the title.

JuJu Watkins, The University of Southern California Trojans

The USC Trojans have a 20-4 record in the regular season and are occupying the second spot in the Pac-12 conference. Their exceptional performance this season has come resting on the exploits of their core players and freshman JuJu Watkins. Watkins has thrashed 27.5 points per game with 7.1 rebounds per match. Her gameplay has been so noteworthy even in her freshman season that she is considered to be a rival to Clark’s NPOY awards.

Watkins showed her class when she throttled 51 points against the Stanford Cardinal. She also had an outstanding 11 rebounds in that game. Therefore she has been the surprise package for the Trojans this season and will be difficult to stop going ahead in the March Madness. Her other great performance came against the Le Moyne Dolphins and was that of 35 points. Going purely by the stats, Watkins has a lot to achieve, and nothing better than if she clinches the national title during her freshman season itself along with major NPOY awards.

Cameron Brink, Stanford Cardinal

The Stanford Cardinal have a 23-3 tally and are placed at the top position in the Pac-12 conference. They also have a 12-2 stat in the conference and are therefore difficult to tackle. Their head coach Tara VanDerveer also became the all-time winningest coach in women’s basketball. Therefore Brink is backed by one of the best coaches in the game and this might provide the impetus for the Cardinal to go for the national title.

Brink averages 17.8 points per contest with 11.4 rebounds per match. Hence is one of the best players in the Cardinal lineup. Though she is behind their forward Kiki Iriafen, Brink is nonetheless a force to reckon with. Her impact on the team can be gauged from the fact that during their game against the Arizona Wildcats, Brink potted 25 points with 20 rebounds. And she has replicated her performances throughout the season, especially when against the Washington State Cougars, Brink smoked 20 points with 18 rebounds.