Women's basketball is officially flush with elite distributors as the sport returns five of the six leading assisters from a season ago and a notable glut of heady fifth-year talent.
So with opening day officially just three weeks away, let's begin NCAA.com's season preview with a look at the 10 best passers from around the country:
1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa (8.6 assists/game last season)
College basketball's sweet-stroking phenom tops yet another list (gasp), but looking past her 3-pointers from Omaha reveals almost unquestionably the sport's best passer. Clark ran away with the DI assist title in 2023, but her adjusted numbers are even more impressive — the Hawkeye PG beat second-place Nika Mühl by almost a dime and a half with 10 assists per 40 minutes.
And while Clark does have the ball in her hands a disproportionate amount of the time — her 36.4 percent usage rate ranks eight in college basketball — she's also a more scoring-focused guard than any player on this list; heck, than any player in the country.
Clark works to find her teammates in a variety of ways but is particularly dazzling in pick-and-roll situations, firing one-handed missiles off the dribble into the palms of rolling Iowa bigs. The Naismith Player of the Year also excels in post entries and transition passing, a crucial aspect of Iowa's DI-best scoring offense.
A NEW SEASON: Check out the preseason top 25 rankings
2. Nika Mühl, UConn (7.9 assists/game)
Evoking memories of the '08 Celtics just 80 miles northeast of Storrs, Mühl engineered a number of Rajon Rondo-esque stat lines that powered UConn to a dominant start in 2022. The Croatian national averaged 11 assists to just 4.5 points through her first six games, a stretch that saw the Huskies best a triad of top-10 foes, all by at least three scores.
But as the injury bug — really more of a locust in this case — ravaged UConn's roster and sidelined many of their most effective scores, Mühl was forced to take a more active offensive role and saw her assist numbers wane throughout the season. With Ice Brady and Paige Bueckers fully healthy and returners Aaliyah Edwards, Aubrey Griffin and Caroline Ducharme rounding out a potent Huskies roster, Mühl can expect more stuffed boxscores and elite distribution in her future.
Due in part to her excellent perimeter defense — she averages nearly 1.5 steals per game — Mühl excels particularly in leading the UConn fast break and finding Huskies in transition. Personifying the head-on-a-swivel approach, Muhl consistently impresses with her ability to find fleeting passing lanes and teammates far beyond her range of vision.
3. Olivia Miles, Notre Dame (6.9 assists/game)
The Rec-Spec'd reaper dominated just about every aspect of the game last season for the Fighting Irish, using her lengthy frame to average nearly 15 points per game, excel as a perimeter defender and to pass over defenses. After playing in just six games her freshman season, Miles has evolved into one of the best passers in America over the last two years — the New Jersey native actually managed an even better passing campaign in 2021-22, finishing second behind just Clark with 7.4 dimes a contest.
Miles blends impressive quickness, long arms and a sharp basketball mind, attacking opportunistically in transition and passing well out of jump stops and drives into the high post. A complete athlete and basketball player — Miles famously became the first man or woman to post a triple-double in the NCAA tournament — the concern with Miles lies solely with her health after suffering a season-ending knee injury Feb. 26 against Louisville last season.
Notre Dame has stressed patience regarding Miles' recovery, casting doubt upon her availability in Notre Dame's blockbuster opener at No. 6 South Carolina, but whenever the second-team All-American manages to take the floor this season she will immediately become one of the sport's elite passers.
4. Rori Harmon, Texas (7.4 assists/game)
Ranked third overall among point guards in the 2021 recruiting class, the five-star prospect flexed her pedigree from the moment she stepped onto campus in Austin. Despite cracking double-figures in a freshman campaign that included 30 starts and an Elite Eight berth, it was Harmon's passing that was truly remarkable as the Lone Star native averaged 5 assists per game.
And while Harmon's efficiency slumped in her sophomore season, her distribution numbers skyrocketed into the highest reaches of college basketball. With 7.4 assists a contest, Harmon ranked third among returning players in Division I, all while taking more than 12 field goals per game — among the 12 top assist leaders, only Clark attempted more — and maintaining a relatively pedestrian 22 percent usage rate.
All of these data points indicate Harmon being particularly productive and direct with the ball in her care, a product of her diverse skill set and Texas finishing inside the top-40 for assists as a team. Heading into her junior season, Harmon will hope to lead the Longhorns back to the Big 12 tournament final and avenge their second-round March Madness setback.
FOLLOW ALONG: Scores and stats for every game this upcoming season
5. Emily Ryan, Iowa State (6.4 assists/game)
Championing a YMCA approach on the hardwood, Ryan's effectiveness often comes from her deceptive head fakes, back-to-the-basket prowess and her patience on ball screens rather than straight-line speed, and her excellent passing is another fitting aspect of this approach. Since arriving to Ames in 2020, Ryan has been one of the very best passers in America, dishing out 5.9 dimes per game, and actually going on to finish fourth in DI with 7.1 assists per game her sophomore season.
Ryan's numbers dropped across the board last season, perhaps to fuel the supernova better known as Ashley Joens, but with WNBA scooping up both Joens and star center Stephanie Soares, Ryan's role as both a scorer and a facilitator only projects to grow entering the 2023-24 campaign.
6. Lauren Park-Lane, Mississippi State (6.3 assists/game)
Marking a major recruiting victory for Mississippi State, Park-Lane is headed to Starkville as possibly the most acclaimed point guard in the transfer portal this offseason. Park-Lane spent four years at Seton Hall, entering the starting lineup early in her freshman season after showing an immediate penchant for passing — the diminutive Delawarean averaged 4.2 assists per game while leading Seton Hall to its first winning season since 2015-16.
Park-Lane grew from good to truly elite in South Orange, earning First-Team All-Big East honors on her next three seasons and finishing fifth nationally in assists during the 2021-22 season. Standing at just 5-foot, 3-inches, Park-Lane's quick burst and shifty approach allows her to get into the painted area at will and seek out awaiting 3-point shooters or open bigs at the low block.
Joining a retooled Mississippi State roster, her All-Big East acumen is now paired with a supremely talented supporting cast, so expect another year of Lauren Park-Lane scaling the assists leaderboard.
7. McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State (7.1 assists/game)
Also a freshman on the 2019-20 Seton Hall squad, Hofschild played a much quieter role that ultimately saw her transfer out that season to Colorado State, a decision that proved invaluable for her basketball career. Now beginning her fourth year in Fort Collins, Hofschild has become one of the best players in America with a stuffed stat sheet that begs just one question: where to start?
The Mountain West's Preseason Player of the Year averaged nearly 21 points per game last season, shooting a scorching 45 percent from 3 while adding on more than a steal a game. But her most remarkable statistical accomplishment is likely a 3.3 assist/turnover ratio, good for third-best in all of America.
With a usage rate bordering 30 percent, the Rams' 5-foot, 2-inch dynamo shreds defenses in transition, surging fearlessly into driving lanes and finding open teammates all while remaining remarkably turnover averse. Coming off a stellar 20-win season, Hofschild will hope to guide her Rams to an NCAA tournament victory for the first time in over 20 years.
8. Katie Dinnebier, Drake (5.8 assists/game)
You could hardly dream of a better ambassador for the Drake program than Katie Dinnebier. Changing little from the days of Lisa Bluder in Des Moines, the Bulldogs' constant motion offense begets selfless passing and high-percentage baskets — Drake led the nation in assisted shot rate at 72.8 percent and also finished fifth in field goal percentage. So, fittingly, Dinnebier finished last season shooting a 6/10 clip from two-point range as a guard while totaling 5.8 assists per game.
And while Dinnebier's statistical excellence powered her Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019 and a near-upset of regional finalists Louisville, even these lofty numbers sell her impact short. Like every other player on the Bulldogs' ultra-deep roster, Dinnebier was limited to fewer than 30 minutes per game, and shifting to a per-40 view slots her in at eighth nationally with 7.8 assists per contests. Similar to Hofschild, this high-octane playmaking is made even more impressive by her remarkable ball security, again rising up to fourth place when evaluating assist:turnover ratio.
9. Jeanae Terry, Purdue (6.3 assists/game)
With a stocky 5-foot, 11-inch frame that creates mismatches on both ends, Terry has separated herself as an elite stat sheet stuffer through four seasons of Big Ten basketball — Terry spent her first two years at Illinois before crossing the border into West Lafayette. Starting all 30 games for the Boilers last campaign, Terry averaged 6.5 points, snagged nearly eight rebounds and poked away 2.3 three steals per game, good for third in the Big Ten last season, but it was another season of elite facilitating that elevated her into second-team All-Conference candidacy.
Often sparking fast-break opportunities personally with her patently handsy defense, Terry shows tremendous touch on her long outlet passes, also proving effective in using her frame and length to pass over defenses and getting in the lane, forcing defenders to respect her strong drives and capable mid-range shooting. Leading Purdue to its first tournament berth since 2017 a year ago, Terry will hope to lead the Boilers past the First Four in her final year of eligibility.
10. Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado (5.1 assists/game)
Colorado's Agent (Double) Zero has been fittingly dominant and explosive since arriving in Boulder, managing 5.1 assists as a freshman and now having transformed herself into a remarkably well-rounded player heading into her fifth and final year of college basketball. Standing at just 5-foot, 7-inches, Sherrod's somewhat slight frame is offset by her devastating quickness, blowing by defenders and collapsing defenses seemingly at will.
Now returning a top-20 preseason roster, Sherrod appears to have the tools around her for an even more remarkable passing season in 2023-24.
