Who are the most talented college players in the country? Which ones do we expect big things from this season? Who are the front-runners for national player of the year? After tallying the votes from Charlie Creme, Graham Hays and Mechelle Voepel, espnW counted down the best in the nation.
1. A'ja Wilson, South Carolina, F, 6-foot-5, junior
2015-16: 16.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 53.1 FG%
The SEC player and defensive player of the year as a sophomore, Wilson really came in to her own and was named a consensus first-team All-American. Her 103 blocked shots were tops in the SEC. Someone who moves so well at her size is extremely tough to guard, and that could be more the case this season as Wilson looks to become an even better midrange shooter. -- Mechelle Voepel
2. Brianna Turner, Notre Dame, F, 6-3, junior
2015-16: 14.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 59.3 FG%
A shoulder injury has cost her games in each of her two seasons in South Bend. A healthy Turner means a rebounding and defensive force, a post player that runs the floor to score in transition, and a finisher that rarely takes a bad shot. Turner led the country in field goal percentage as a freshman and was fifth last season. While she might be able to score more playing somewhere else, Turner is the perfect fit for Muffet McGraw's offense. She averages more than three blocks per game at the other end. -- Charlie Creme
3. Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State, G, 5-8, junior
2015-16: 26.1 PPG, 3.4 APG, 45.2 FG%
One of the best pure scorers in the country -- third in Division I last season -- Mitchell is dangerous from everywhere on the court. She can just as easily take the ball to the rim as hit a 3-pointer; she made 126 from long range in 2015-16. A consensus first-team All-American as a sophomore, she expects to play more at the point guard position this year. To that end, one of the hardest things for Mitchell is being more vocal, but she hopes to improve on that as well. -- Mechelle Voepel
4. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland, G, 5-11, senior
2015-16: 19.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 54.3 FG%
What Walker-Kimbrough did last season borders on the ridiculous. She shot better from the 3-point line than all but 24 players in the entirety of Division I did from the field. And it's not as if that was a small sample size for someone who attempted nearly four 3-pointers per game. No one was a more efficient scorer. But that's only the tip of the iceberg for someone who also rebounds, passes and created three turnovers a game all on her own through steals and blocks. -- Graham Hays
5. Nina Davis, Baylor, F, 5-11 senior
2015-16: 16.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 54.8 FG%
It only feels like Davis has been at Baylor forever. She has started 83 straight games and has been one of -- if not the -- dominating force in every one of them. Arriving in Waco the year after Brittney Griner's departure, Davis has been the key reason the program never skipped a beat, reaching the Elite Eight in each of her three seasons. Her personality and game are quiet, but Davis plays with a simmering intensity and unmatched efficiency and acumen rarely seen in a 5-11 post player, illustrated perfectly by her 57.5 career field goal percentage. -- Charlie Creme
6. Kelsey Plum, Washington, G, 5-8, senior
2015-16: 25.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 40.5 FG%
With a relentless style, abundant confidence and high IQ, Plum took the Huskies to heights few thought they could reach a year ago. An encore will be difficult, but even falling short of another Final Four won't diminish all that Plum has accomplished. She has been the face of the program for three years and is already its all-time leading scorer. Plum was also the country's fourth-best scorer in 2016 with equal parts deep shooting range and slashing dashes to the basket. No one draws fouls and gets to the free throw line better. -- Charlie Creme
7. Kia Nurse, Connecticut, G, 6-0, junior
2015-16: 9.3 PPG, 2.7 APG, 37.0 3FG%
It is worth remembering that the last person to beat Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson before they left Connecticut was Nurse, who outplayed everyone on the court when her Canadian team beat Team USA for Pan-Am gold in 2015. She played a complementary role the past two college seasons, but Nurse is a headline talent. UConn won't ask her to average 20 points per game, but with size, shooting range, physical strength and poise, she could. -- Graham Hays
8. Diamond DeShields, Tennessee, G, 6-1 junior
2015-16: 14.3 PPG, 5.2 APG, 39.1 FG%
The talent is immense as DeShields demonstrated during her freshman year at North Carolina in 2014 when she averaged 18 PPG and lifted the Tar Heels to the Elite Eight. It wasn't as evident during a rocky first season in Knoxville. DeShields shot just 29.4 percent from 3-point range, had 33 more turnovers than assists, and even came off the bench 16 times. Ultimately, DeShields ended up being the leading scorer on another Elite Eight team. Few players can create their own shot in as many ways as DeShields can. -- Charlie Creme
9. Alaina Coates, South Carolina, C, 6-4, senior
2015-16: 12.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 64.4 FG%
A true center, Coates became a full-time starter last season and was named All-SEC first team after leading the league in double-doubles (20) and rebounding average. Her shooting percentage would have been second in Division I, but with 168 she just missed the NCAA cut-off of needing to average at least five makes per game. She worked well in tandem with A'ja Wilson to lead the Gamecocks to the SEC regular-season and tournament titles. -- Mechelle Voepel
10. Lindsay Allen, Notre Dame, G, 5-8, senior
2015-16: 9.3 PPG, 5.8 APG, 49.8 FG%
There is at least an argument to be made that she could finish her career as the most valuable player who didn't average double-digit points since Ticha Penecheiro. Rather than hoist more shots of her own a season ago without Jewell Loyd, Allen went about her usual business by setting up Brianna Turner, Marina Mabrey, Arike Ogunbowale and others. She defends tenaciously, gets as many defensive rebounds as many forwards, and rarely turns over the ball. -- Graham Hays
11. Myisha Hines-Allen, Louisville, F, 6-2, junior
2015-16: 17.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 54.7 FG%
See all that space around the lane? Hines-Allen owns it. From a good freshman campaign to a sophomore effort that earned her ACC player of the year, Hines-Allen demonstrated a mastery of the paint. She can post up with her back to the basket when needed or face up and shoot from the elbow when challenged. But what sets her apart is the ease with which she reads space and cuts or drives to the basket. Half court or transition, she gets to where she's going. -- Graham Hays
12. Makayla Epps, Kentucky, G, 5-10, senior
2015-16: 17.1 PPG, 4.5 APG, 47.3 FG%
With all the transfer turmoil that has gone on at Kentucky, there has been a constant: Epps has been the Wildcats' standout. She led the team in minutes played last season as Kentucky went 25-8, with Epps scoring 30 points in an NCAA regional semifinal loss to Washington. Epps can play either guard spot or the wing position, and is in great shape physically going into her senior season. One thing Epps can improve on is shooting from behind the arc; she's at 29.7 percent (62 of 209) there thus far in her career. -- Mechelle Voepel
13. Alexis Jones, Baylor, G, 5-9, senior
2015-16: 15.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, 43.5 FG%
In her first season playing with Baylor after transferring from Duke, Jones was everything the Lady Bears hoped she'd be. She was Baylor's top 3-point shooter, making 70 of 170 (41.2 percent). Her speed and court vision allow her to be an excellent playmaker, but she's also a big-time scorer. This year, Baylor needs both from her, along with defense, where she also made an impact last season. Jones led the Lady Bears in steals with 75. -- Mechelle Voepel
14. Leticia Romero, Florida State, G, 5-8, senior
2015-16: 11.6 PPG, 4.6 APG, 44.7 3FG%
She spent the summer helping Spain win a silver medal in the Olympics. Now she's the perfect player to place at the helm of a team flush with new toys in Baylor transfer Imani Wright and Illinois transfer Chatrice White. While she is a natural facilitator, the worst she shot from the 3-point line in her first three college seasons was 39 percent as a freshman at Kansas State. So you can't leave her open, either. -- Graham Hays
15. Sydney Wiese, Oregon State, G, 6-1, senior
2015-16: 12.8 PPG, 4.9 APG, 36.1 3FG%
Yes, Oregon State has to replace Ruth Hamblin and Jamie Weisner, but it does not start from scratch after last season's Final Four run. Despite playing through a hand injury for a significant portion of the 2015-16 season, Wiese remained a dual threat, a pass-first point guard who also can't be left open behind the 3-point line. Through three college seasons, she has 178 more assists than turnovers. A constant mismatch with her size, she will presumably take on a larger scoring role. -- Graham Hays
16. Brionna Jones, Maryland, C, 6-3, senior
2015-16: 15.2 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 66.5 FG%
An example of giving interior players time to develop, Jones has steadily progressed to the point that she resides comfortably alongside Alaina Coates in the discussion of best posts. In Big Ten play a season ago, Jones averaged 16.1 points per game yet missed an average of just 3.7 shots per game. That's demoralizing stuff for a defender. She also averaged a double-double in league games, which might well be a sign of dominance to come. -- Graham Hays
17. Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn, G, 6-3, sophomore
2015-16: 11.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 39.4 3FG%
Samuelson got off to a slow start adjusting to life in Storrs and then suffered a broken foot in the Final Four, missing a chance to play in her first championship game. In between, she was one of the best freshmen in the country and played an important role in UConn's fourth consecutive title. Samuelson led the Huskies with 78 3-pointers but is more than just a shooter -- and should get a bigger opportunity this season to demonstrate more of her game. -- Charlie Creme
18. Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State, G, 6-1, junior
2015-16: 17.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 38.2 FG%
The native Mississippian has proven to be the impact player coach Vic Schaefer was hoping for. The Bulldogs were 28-8 last season and reached the SEC tournament title game. Unfortunately, in the NCAA tournament, they had to endure a 98-38 thumping at the hands of UConn. But perhaps that will be a motivator for Vivians and Mississippi State this season. If there is an area of improvement for her to focus on, it's raising her shooting percentage. Vivians made 233 of 610 shots from the field in 2015-16. -- Mechelle Voepel
19. Alexis Peterson, Syracuse, G, 5-7, senior
2015-16: 16.0 PPG, 4.7 APG, 41.3 FG%
Peterson had a breakthrough season in 2015-16; she led the Orange to their first Women's Final Four and was named Sioux Falls regional MVP. Peterson scored 26 points in a Sweet 16 upset of No. 1 seed South Carolina, and then 29 against Tennessee. She set the program record for points in a season with 593, and for the second year in a row was named to the ACC's all-defensive team. Syracuse's NCAA tournament run ended in the championship game against UConn, but by that point Peterson had made her mark on Orange history. -- Mechelle Voepel
20. Nia Coffey, Northwestern, F, 6-1, senior
2015-16: 20.3 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 43.2 FG%
Coffey was the star in an otherwise disappointing 2015-16 season for the Wildcats. She finished among the top five in the Big Ten in scoring, rebounding and blocks, and led the conference with 18 double-doubles while also cutting down on turnovers. She has scored in double figures in 50 consecutive games. Coffey will leave Northwestern as one of the best players in school history, but her résumé will look even better if she can help the Wildcats improve on last season's 4-14 Big Ten record. -- Charlie Creme
21. Jordin Canada, UCLA, G, 5-6, junior
2015-16: 16.1 PPG, 5.7 APG, 40.6 FG%
The No. 1 reason UCLA basketball is back to prominence is because this Los Angeles native decided to stay home. Her leadership, quickness and unselfishness have elevated the program. Excellent in the open floor, Canada's ability to finish belies her size. She was second in the Pac-12 in both assists and steals (2.3 SPG). A summer spent winning gold as a starter on the USA's World University Games team in China should only make her more confident this season. -- Charlie Creme
22. Mariya Moore, Louisville, F, 6-0, junior
2015-16: 14.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 44.9 FG%
Most players would love a sophomore campaign as productive as Moore's a season ago, but she happened to compile it in the shadow of teammate Myisha Hines-Allen's breakthrough effort that earned her ACC Player of the Year. Moore is still very much a headliner on the banks of the Ohio River. While listed as a forward, Louisville's leader in assists and 3-pointers last season is more than anything a playmaker comfortable with the ball in her hands. -- Graham Hays
23. Erica McCall, Stanford, F, 6-3, senior
2015-16: 14.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 50.9 FG%
McCall really came into her own last season, turning herself into one of the top seniors to watch for 2016-17. The promise was there her first two years. But the opportunity and execution arrived her junior season, as she proved to be a threat offensively and a force on defense. Her career-high scoring performance -- 27 points -- came in one of the biggest games of the season for Stanford: a 90-84 Sweet 16 upset over No. 1 seed Notre Dame. -- Mechelle Voepel
24. Kristine Anigwe, Cal, F/C, 6-4, sophomore
2015-16: 20.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 57.0 FG%
Coach Lindsay Gottlieb is rebuilding the Cal program squarely on the shoulders of Anigwe, one of the top freshmen in the country last season. Her impact was immediate and steady; Anigwe scored 19 points against Louisville in her second game. Before the first month of her career was over, she had a 43-point game. She's old-school in a sense, scoring with post moves and getting to the offensive glass with positioning and instinct rather than merely brute strength. -- Charlie Creme
25. Katelynn Flaherty, Michigan, G, 5-7, junior
2015-16: 22.1 PPG, 2.4 APG, 44.9 FG%
Among returning Division I players, only Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell and Washington's Kelsey Plum averaged more points per game a season ago. Flaherty isn't a volume scorer in the negative sense. Given the frequency and accuracy with which she shoots from the 3-point line, her overall efficiency in turning shots into points ranks among the best in the country. There is a reason folks in Ann Arbor, Michigan, mention Steph Curry when describing how she goes about her work. -- Graham Hays