Hannah Hidalgo’s elite play changing National Player of the Year conversation

USC standout Juju Watkins tried to cover the disappointment on her face with her left hand after last season’s Elite Eight loss. But the frustrations and heartache were still too great to hide. Never mind the fact Watkins broke a 40-year record to become the all-time leading scorer among freshmen in NCAA Division I basketball after a 29-point performance.

Watkins was upset that, despite her best efforts, USC was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on the doorstep of a Final Four berth by Connecticut. “Coming up short, that adds a lot of fuel to the fire for the next couple years,” Watkins told reporters after the loss..