While South Carolina’s Dawn Staley noted that a preseason No. 1 ranking can be a “gift and a curse,” the AP released its preseason All-America squad on Thursday, headlined by back-to-back Players of the Year Sarah Strong of UConn and JuJu Watkins of USC. They share the floor with a powerhouse trio featuring Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes, Texas forward Madison Booker, and Notre Dame standout Hannah Hidalgo. Fans wasted no time in giving their reaction to these promising picks.

Sarah Strong was a near-unanimous selection, collecting 30 votes from the 31-member national media panel. Booker and Hidalgo secured 28 votes each, with Blakes tallying 27 and Watkins collecting 26.

And it seems that missing more than 575 days due to an ACL injury has not impacted the hype that surrounds JuJu Watkins. Following a grueling year of rehab, Watkins has officially received the green light. The USC star had her sophomore season cut short by a torn ACL in her right knee during the 2025 NCAA Tournament—a campaign in which she still took home AP Player of the Year honors. Now fully recovered, Watkins is poised to pick up right where she left off.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb, as expected, remains eager for Watkins’ integration with her squad again.

“We are obviously excited for JuJu to be back on the court,” said Gottlieb. “She has worked so hard both on and off the court, and the joy and talent she brings to college basketball is a great thing not only for our team, but for anyone who is a fan of the game.”

Sarah Strong, the reigning AP Player of the Year, delivered a dominant sophomore campaign in Storrs, where she posted 18.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on 58.2% shooting from the floor, powering UConn back to the Final Four on the heels of the program’s 12th national championship.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma’s assessment of Strong reflects the mood surrounding the young forward.

“She was national player of the year, you know, and it’s pretty hard to get that much better,” Auriemma said. “But it’s not that hard to get better at some things that she wants to get better at. And I think what we’ll see is a much more aggressive Sarah, much more intentional, much more understanding.”

Looking at this stacked five-a-side team, fans couldn’t help but express their thoughts.

Preseason Picks Give Fans Plenty of Reasons to Get Excited for the Season

Fans couldn’t help but notice that this is perhaps one of the strongest preseason selections in recent years. They gave their thoughts in the comments section of the post by brwsports.

“Cherish this era! They are elite,” one fan said.

“Sarah Strong is special. Everyone else too,” another fan said.

“This a cold 5,” one fan said online.

Rounding out this elite first team, Notre Dame’s 5-foot-7 senior guard Hannah Hidalgo garnered 28 votes after a relentless campaign averaging 25.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and a blistering 5.6 steals while shooting 47.5% from the field. 6-foot-1 Texas senior forward Madison Booker also secured 28 votes, powered by an efficient 50.8% clip, 18.9 points, 6.7 boards, and 3.7 assists per game. Vanderbilt junior guard Mikayla Blakes collected 27 votes following a prolific scoring season where she poured in 27 points per outing, added 2.9 steals, and knocked down 93 3-pointers.

“I knew they’d have to leave a top player off, and I figured it would be Joyce,” another fan said.

Unfortunately, in a team already loaded with talent, Joyce Edwards couldn’t make the cut. Edwards had a standout sophomore season during the 2025–26 NCAA women’s college basketball season with the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she broke South Carolina’s 48-year-old program scoring record with 768 total points, passing the previous mark of 754 set in 1977–78.

“No Mikaylah Williams? She’s a walking bucket 🔥🔥🔥,” one fan said.

This fan was not happy with Williams’ omission. Williams was named the 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year and earned back-to-back First Team All-SEC honors (2025, 2026). She is often known for her deadly mid-range jumper, smooth footwork, and long-range shooting.

While JuJu Watkins and Co. open their 2026–27 season with an exhibition game on Sunday, October 25, 2026, followed by the regular season opener on Monday, November 2, 2026, Sarah Strong and the UConn Huskies play their remaining preseason game vs. Army on Sunday, October 25, 2026, and open their 2026–27 regular season vs. Cornell on Nov. 2.