The NCAA women’s basketball tournament is finally almost here — the culmination of a season filled with exciting moments, broken records and freshman phenoms. Given how many talented players will take the court, this is by no means an exhaustive list of those worth watching in the days and weeks ahead . But these five players are among the best in the country, they could each lead their teams to the Final Four in Cleveland, and they are sure to be at the center of March Madness.
No. 1 seed Iowa opens play Saturday against either No. 16 seed Holy Cross or No. 16 seed Tennessee Martin.Few freshmen in recent memory have adapted to the speed and physicality of the college game as quickly and successfully as Hidalgo. One of the country’s best two-way players, Hidalgo has propelled Notre Dame to a season few saw coming.