Despite her injury in USC’s second-round win in the NCAA tournament, the 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Award seems to be JuJu Watkins’ to lose. After putting up 38, 30, and 29 in three performances against UCLA, she cemented herself as the best player in the country, and the odds reflect that, with DraftKings Sportsbook currently listing her as a -500 favorite to win the award.
Despite incredible team success, including a massive win against South Carolina and a Big East tournament title, UConn’s Paige Bueckers is considered the longest shot at the award, not even receiving odds from DraftKings.
Will Watkins win the award, or will Bueckers, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, or Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo swoop in and steal it from her? Read more as we take a closer look.
Will JuJu Watkins or Paige Bueckers win the 2025 Naismith Player of the Year Award?
The Naismith, awarded to the best player in the country, seems to be a lock for Watkins this year, with Hidalgo a faraway second.
Watkins led USC to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and Big Ten regular season title this year, leading the team in scoring and passing with 23.9 points and 3.4 assists per game. Her point total was good for fifth in the country. She shined against No. 1 overall seed UCLA in February, racking up 38 points and 11 assists as the Trojans took down the Bruins.
Hidalgo starred for Notre Dame, leading them to an ACC regular-season title and the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. She led the team in points and steals, with 24.1 points and 3.7 steals per game, good for third and fourth in the country, respectively. Her odds to win the Naismith sit at +500, per DraftKings.
Betts helped lead UCLA to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and Big Ten tournament title, leading the team in points, with 19.7 per game, rebounds, with 9.7 and blocks, with 2.9, fifth in the country. The 6’7” junior put on a show at Wisconsin, scoring 26 points and adding 10 rebounds on 91.7% shooting. Her Naismith odds sit at +1000, per DraftKings.
KEEP READING: Paige Bueckers Most Impressive Feats During His Historic Run at UConn
Buckers, who led UConn to a perfect Big East conference record, tournament title, and NCAA tournament No. 2 seed, was incredibly efficient. The senior shot at a 50/40/90 clip and led the nation in assists to turnover ratio.
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