Is LSU’s Mikaylah Williams The Underdog in JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo-Led Race?

The women’s division of the NCAA has seen some of the most talented freshmen stealing the spotlight. From JuJu Watkins to MiLaysia Fulwiley, each one of these ballers has played a major hand in their team’s overall success. However, there is one name in that elite list who many see as the dark horse in that race.

The explosive and talented No.12, Mikaylah Williams has been a terrific addition to the LSU locker room. The 18-year-old is slowly but steadily creating a reputation of being a match-winner.

Mikaylah Williams- The impactful LSU freshman

The No. 2 player in the class of 2023, Mikaylah Williams has been a force to be reckoned with in LSU. She has been one of the prolific scorers for the defending champions in the opening month. Everyone saw a glimpse of her brilliance in LSU’s emphatic win against Kent State. Apparently, the 6 ft guard landed her season-best figures of 42 points. The highlight of her performance was her sublime shooting accuracy as 15 out of her 20 attempts landed inside the net. In addition to this, she also asserted her dominance against tougher opponents like Colorado and Virginia Tech scoring 17 and 20 points respectively.

The manner in which Williams is turning out to be among the top performers in a powerhouse like LSU is quite impressive. In the current form she’s in, the All-American guard can easily finish with a 50/40/90 season. Meanwhile, she has 51.3% efficiency shooting from the field and 45.2% from the 3-point range. Also, Williams has an astonishing success rate of 93.9% from free throws.

Where does Mikaylah Williams stand in the NCAA

Currently, the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year is sitting third just below USC’s Juju Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023, Watkins is on another level this season. It is not a rare sight for the Trojans’ fans to witness her giving a 30-point performance. Consequently, her skills and exceptional scoring potential have resulted in USC’s best ranking in the AP poll since 1994.

Read More: Mikaylah Williams Makes History With 42 Points as Angel Reese and Co. Avoid Another Asterisk vs Kent State

Similarly, the fearless 5 ft 6 in guard from Notre Dame is also turning quite a few heads around this season. Her scoring average of 23.8 per game has been one of the primary reasons behind the Fighting Irish’s 9-1 record in the competition so far. Furthermore, she leads her team in terms of minutes and assists, and stands second in rebounds.

Mikaylah’s stats this season

Mikaylah currently has the third-best average in the LSU locker room. She is currently scoring 17.2 points per game and has a decent rebound rate of 4.8 per game. Further, she maintains an impressive field goal percentage of 51.2. Although, she needs to work on her steals and blocks which are 1.4 and 2.7 respectively. Additionally, Williams can also make significant improvements in her turnovers.

The race for the Freshman of the Year is a tight one. All the contenders bring something or the other to the table and possess a unique skill set. However, the thing that will matter the most is how their individual performances can have an impact on their team’s overall success. We will have to wait and see which among these freshman can elevate their programs to new heights.

Watch This Story: What Happened to Angel Reese’s Boyfriend Camron Fletcher?

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section.