2021 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four: Underrated Stars to Watch
Who are some sleepers to steal the show this Friday?
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Today’s the day! The Final Four is set to tip off later tonight in the Alamodome, featuring three college basketball powerhouses and one upstart led by a fiery floor general. The No. 1 overall seed Stanford Cardinal advanced out of the Alamo Region with a furious comeback over Louisville. Their opponent, No. 1 seed South Carolina, held Texas scoreless for an entire quarter on their way to the Hemisfair Region crown.
On the opposite side of the bracket, we have generationally dominant No. 1 seed UConn—they went on a 19-0 second half run to knock off Baylor and reign victorious over the lethal River Walk Region. Last, but certainly not least, No. 3 seed Arizona emerged out of the Mercado Region. The Wildcats defeated Indiana to secure the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance and become the first team ever to reach the Final Four after missing the tournament the previous 10 years.
So, we know the teams taking the court, and we know some of the main stars to watch for, like Paige Bueckers for the Huskies or Aari McDonald for the Wildcats. However, who are some of the unsung stars or hidden standouts in this Final Four field? Let’s get into it.
Victaria Saxton, South Carolina
The Gamecocks are battle-tested this year with the hardest schedule in the country and have been phenomenal in the tournament thus far, steamrolling through the competition. On any given night, someone different in the rotation can go off, a testament to how talented and deep this team is. Recently, it’s been junior forward Victaria Saxton stepping up to the plate.
The former top-50 recruit is normally a defensive specialist, routinely posting a top-three defensive rating in the SEC and swatting shots with ease. However, lately she’s established herself as an uber-efficient threat offensively as well. Entering the tournament averaging 9.1 points per game, Saxton has increased her average in San Antonio to 12.8 points per game on 68% from the field, including a career-high 20 points against Mercer in the first round.
With eight points in the third period of the Gamecocks’ Sweet 16 game versus Georgia Tech, and another eight-point burst in the opening quarter of their Elite Eight game against Texas, it’s evident Saxton is not shying away from the big moment. Make no mistake, just because she’s scoring at a career-best level right now doesn’t mean she’s slacking on the defensive end: Saxton had five blocks in her Round of 32 game against Oregon State.
Carolyn Peck mentioned on ESPN that during the Elite Eight game, Saxton was able to feast on the interior because Dawn Staley used her sophomore superstar Aliyah Boston as a decoy to pull Texas’ Charli Collier out of the paint. This created a mismatch and allowed Victaria to light the fuse early, scoring all 12 of her points in the first half. Look for South Carolina to attempt the same strategy, using Boston early on as a decoy to lure away Stanford’s resident shot-blocker Cameron Brink. If and when that happens, Saxton might be in for another big scoring night.
Hannah Jump, Stanford
Stanford thrashes teams on the scoreboard with a methodical, yet powerful, offense. They rank fifth in made 3-pointers (281), sixth in 3-point percentage (38.3), seventh in assists (517), and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33). Simply put, it’s rare that this team is ever out of their comfort zone.
One of their three-point marksmen in the rotation is sophomore Hannah Jump, who we featured in the wonderful Jenn Hatfield’s article about the best player names from this season. Her last name might imply she’s a dunking machine, but actually, she might be the best shooter on the team.
Jump, a former five-star recruit, had a strong freshman season. She shot 41.3% overall from behind the arc, a mark that ranks sixth in Stanford history. She didn’t rest on her laurels, though, and instead came back better than ever. Jump transformed her body over the summer and has become a microwave scorer off the bench. She’s scored in double figures 12 times this season, including a season-high 17 points against Missouri State in the Sweet 16.
Despite only playing about 17 minutes a night, Jump is second on the team in made three-pointers with 57, shooting a scorching 43.2% from deep on 132 attempts. Only six other players have taken as many attempts and made a higher percentage this season. The only other player remaining in the tournament from that bunch is Paige Bueckers, at 45.9% from distance. In fact, the Cardinal are a perfect 22-0 this season when Jump hits a three.
Whenever she’s out there with other long-range snipers like Lacie Hull or Elite Eight savior Ashten Prechtel, Jump is going to do some damage. If she hits a three, that might be all she wrote for the Gamecocks.
Trinity Baptiste, Arizona
That photo might be the perfect description of Trinity Baptiste and her play this season for Arizona. Before transferring to Adia Barnes’ squad, she was a menace off the pine at Virginia Tech, winning the 2020 ACC Sixth Player of the Year award as she averaged 9.5 points and 6.4 rebounds on over 37% from three-point land. Despite adjusting well to her new role, Baptiste sought out greener pastures as a grad transfer with a chance to expand her horizons. It wasn’t long before Arizona called her up.
With the Wildcats looking to fill the gap in the rotation left by the departure of Dominique McBryde, Barnes went out looking for a versatile forward who can rebound and space the floor. When talking to Ryan Kelapire at AZ Desert Swarm, Barnes mentioned how Baptiste would be much stronger on the interior and as a rebounder, and that she’ll have to fit her role like McBryde did for the team to succeed. It’s safe to say the acquisition has paid off as Baptiste made All-Pac-12 honorable mention, and has been playing exceptionally in the tournament.
The NCAA Tournament has been the “Aari McDonald Show” for the most part (which is fair, she’s averaging over 25 points a game), but Baptiste has stepped up big-time to be the Robin to McDonald’s Batman. She’s averaging 10.8 points per game, which ranks second on the team, and she leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game. With performances of 18 points versus Stony Brook and a double-double against Indiana, her contributions have come at the perfect time.
She’s going to have her hands full dealing with Olivia Nelson-Ododa and the rest of the UConn frontcourt later tonight, but what Baptiste has brought to the table this tournament cannot go unnoticed. The Wildcats need all hands on deck to pull off the upset, and you can expect Baptiste to be there ready to go.
Evina Westbrook, UConn
It’s time we give Evina Westbrook her flowers. After transferring from Tennessee and redshirting last season, she’s stepped into the starting lineup seamlessly for the Huskies this year. As the only player on the roster over 21 years old and one of only three players with prior NCAA Tournament experience, she’s been that veteran presence throughout the season doing whatever it takes to lead the team to victory. The Big East coaches might have passed over her for a spot on the all-conference squad, but I won’t make the same mistake!
Westbrook’s versatility and adaptability on the court have been extraordinary this season. Her averages might not jump off the page, but she’s one of just seven players in the nation to average over nine points, five rebounds, and four assists while maintaining a pristine assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.89. Once you add in her steals per game, the list gets chopped down to four players. Simply put, she’s been one of the most reliable and consistent two-way options in the nation, and we saw her take over in the Sweet 16 against Iowa.
Westbrook finished with 17 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and three stocks (steals + blocks) as she had her fingerprints all over the game. Heck, she even found time in the second half to score her 1,000th collegiate point. With good size on the wing, remarkable passing ability and a reliable three-point shot, she is a walking mismatch. If Arizona hones in on Bueckers or Christyn Williams, look for Evina Westbrook to put up another dazzling statline.
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.