KB Sports: The 2021-22 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament is about to begin, and most teams have been preparing for the start of the game for some time. Prior to the first game, the annual Associated Press Preseason All-American team roster was announced. There were no real surprises on the team, most notably University of Connecticut guard Page Bukkel, defending Naismith's Player of the Year, and University of Kentucky guard Wren Howard, who is the presumed number one candidate in the upcoming 2022 WNBA draft.
Bucker, who is coming to an end is arguably the greatest freshman season in NCAA history, was unanimously selected for the team. She is one of the favourites to win Naismith's Player of the Year again and will look forward to leading Contun back to the final four for the second consecutive season. Another second-year freshman recognized by the Associated Press is Caitlin Clarke. A prolific scorer, the Hawkeyes' defender led the nation last season with 26.6 points per game, setting a freshman record for the school in the process. Under Clarke, Iowa is ranked No. 9 in the nation this season.
Youngster Aliyah Boston, South Carolina's dominant interior lineman, is a two-time lisa Leslie Award winner and SEC Defensive Player of the Year, helped the Gamecocks reach the Final Four last season and will hopefully do it again this season. All three players will all be WNBA players in the coming years, but they are not eligible for the 2022 WNBA Draft. However, the other two players of the Preseason All-American team will jump ship to the professional team at the end of the season. Moreover, they all have the opportunity to become candidates for the Lotto draft.
The first is Howard, who is two consecutive SEC Player of the Year and is poised to be the number one overall champion in the upcoming draft. As a defender, she's in good shape, can easily score on three levels and has an impact on the defensive end, which is why she has the opportunity to be a team-changing talent from day one. Every lottery team snaps their fingers and prays for a chance to choose Howard.