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UConn guard Paige Bueckers reacts after a game against Southern California in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 31, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paige Bueckers of UConn is one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award that goes to the nation’s outstanding women’s college basketball player.
The other finalists are Lauren Betts of UCLA, Madison Booker of Texas, Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame and JuJu Watkins of Southern California.
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Bueckers, Betts and Booker will lead their teams at the Final Four in Tampa, Florida, this weekend.
Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Trojans’ second-round NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State.
“Thank you all for the incredible love and support. Seeing all your messages and kind words has meant the world to me. y’all have given me so much hope,” Watkins posted on Instagram after the Trojans lost to Bueckers and UConn in the Elite Eight on Monday.
“Right now, my heart is with my teammates — I wish I could have been out there battling, but I couldn’t be prouder of the fight we’ve fought together.”
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The Wooden Award winner will be honored April 11 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Voting was done by sportswriters and sportscasters nationwide.
Also named Tuesday to the Wooden All-America team were: Georgia Amoore of Kentucky, Ta’Niya Latson of Florida State, Oliva Miles of Notre Dame, Aneesah Morrow of LSU and Hailey Van Lith of TCU.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
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