Even with the constant evolution of basketball, a talented big anchoring the post never quite seems to go out of style, with many of the most recognizable names in women's college basketball building their celebrity right in the painted area.
Continuing with NCAA.com's season preview for the 2023-24 women's college basketball season, here's a look at the sport's ten 10 scorers in the post:
1. Angel Reese, LSU (23 PPG, 52.9 2PT%)
Rising to a ring-kissing star during LSU's run to the 2023 national championship, Reese's tournament dominance — the Tigers forward averaged 21 points and a stunning 15 rebounds across six games — offered newly engrossed viewers a glimpse into her dominance over women's college basketball in the last two seasons.
Finishing ninth on the Big Ten scoring charts as a sophomore, Reese left College Park behind to join up with Kim Mulkey at LSU. Reese's swap paid off marvelously, honing her remarkable strength, athleticism and quickness into an almost unstoppable post presence — the Maryland native averaged 9.4 free throw attempts in '22-23, while the next closest was Caitlin Clark with 7.5. Reese, more generally, glistens in the advanced metrics community, finishing second among nearly 3,400 eligible players in PER, or player efficiency rating, and third in offensive win shares.
Reese told NCAA Digital to simply "watch this season" regarding her jump shot, which, paired with her lighting-quick post spins and devastating face-up game, would make Reese truly unguardable in her second season on the Bayou.
A NEW SEASON: Check out the preseason top 25 rankings
2. Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana (22.3 PPG, 69.1 2PT%)
Despite an unassuming No. 54 plastered on her iconic Indiana uniform, Holmes is an offensive and defensive juggernaut for the Hoosiers, finishing fifth among all major conference players in scoring average and swatting away nearly two shots a game.
It's all substance for Holmes entering year five in Bloomington. Firing off just nine 3-point attempts during the 2022-23 season, Holmes' scoring prowess comes instead from her nearly unguardable arsenal of post moves and tireless motor for sealing and displacing beleaguered opposition in the post. With an ability to spin off and score with either hand, Holmes also has a devastating hook shot in her arsenal along with an underrated ability to fill transition lanes and score on the break.
With the defending Big Ten regular-season champion Hoosiers returning nine players from last year's squad, Holmes will look to lead Indiana back to Big Ten glory and past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.
3. Aaliyah Edwards, UConn (16.6 PPG, 58.8 2PT%)
A fortunate survivor of the injury plague that ravaged Storrs last season — Edwards was one of just two Huskies that played in all 37 games last season — the former five-star recruit took full advantage and quickly grew from a tertiary scoring option to an All-American candidate.
Starring early in UConn's loaded nonconference slate with 20 points in a neutral-site victory over Iowa and 25 in a road loss to Maryland, Edwards became the go-to scorer for the Huskies by the end of conference play, attempting double-digit field goals in their final nine games leading into the NCAA tournament and proving to be a decisive variable in UConn's postseason run. In opening weekend victories against Vermont and Baylor, Edwards was nearly automatic, converting on more than 80 percent of her shots, but a fateful Sweet 16 matchup against Ohio State saw her limited to just 17 minutes due to foul trouble as the Huskies bowed out 73-61.
Edwards initiates much of her offense from around the free throw line, facing up into a dead-eye midrange jump shot or a powerful dribble-drive, and with elite floor spacers Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers healthy for the Huskies, Edwards should enjoy space and time to till the painted area in '23-'24.
FOLLOW ALONG: Scores and stats for every game this upcoming season
4. Ayoka Lee, Kansas State (22 PPG, 56.3 2PT%)
The author of potentially college basketball's most remarkable stat line — Lee managed a women's college record 61 points against Oklahoma in 2021 on just 30 field goal attempts — saw her mercurial ascent tragically felled by an off-season double knee operation that sidelined her for the entire 2022-23 campaign.
Speaking at Big 12 Media Days, K-State coach Jeff Mintie revealed that his star center was "about 85% healthy," translating to, at least in the eyes of Minnie's fellow Big 12 coaches, far too much Ayoka Lee. With a domineering 6-foot, 6-inch frame, Lee routinely torches her buried defenders defenders with exceptionally quick decision making in the post, generally rotating between a drop-step layup, a lethal push shot and a Nowitzki-inspired fallaway jumper.
If Lee can reclaim anywhere close to her pre-surgery form, where she finished fourth nationally in both PER and win shares, Lee will immediately resurface as a contender for All-Conference and All-American consideration.
5. Alissa Pili, Utah (20.7 PPG, 62.1 2PT%)
While Pili certainly enjoys the most diverse shooting skill set on this list thus far, converting her 2.2 3-point attempts from last season at an impressive 43 percent clip, its her dominance down low that powered her to Pac-12 Player of the Year recognition. Pili is no stranger to the conference, playing her first three seasons at Southern Cal, but her performance in Los Angeles regressed after a promising freshman campaign and cratered in 2021-22 when Pili shot a lowly 33.6 percent from the field.
Proving to be an immediate fit in the nation's third most efficient offense, Pili transferred to Utah in the offseason and came off the bench to score 27 points in a season-opening win over Idaho and, expectedly, earn a starting role for the rest of the season. With almost unparalleled footwork at the college level, Pili can effectively spin to either side, exploit front coverage and burn overzealous defenders with a silky reverse layup.
Even the mountainous Utes are in rare air entering the '23-'24 season after securing their first Pac-12 regular season title, and with Utah's top six scorers returning to Salt Lake City Pili and co. are ranked inside the preseason AP top 5 for the first time in program history.
6. Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech (18.2 PPG, 55.8 2PT%)
If Ayoka Lee is Nowitzki-esque, then Kitley is the German giant reincarnated on the court, all the way down to her patented fadeaway, lanky-legged kick outs and even her long blonde hair. Ranging tirelessly from block to elbow, Kitley tends to spin immediately out of her post touch and into her preferred mid-range fader, the kind of shot you can only hope rims out with her 6-foot, 6-inch frame. Otherwise, Kitley finished inside the top-50 in offensive rebounds, turning rare misses from the 31-5 Hokies back into points.
Announcing her return to Blacksburg this offseason, Kitley made the Hokies ACC preseason favorites per Thursday's media poll and cements them strong contenders to return to the Final Four.
7. Desi-Rae Young, UNLV (17.8 PPG, 59.4 2PT%)
While Jerry Tarkanian and his high-powered UNLV teams held a cultural stranglehold on the Sin City's college basketball scene in the '90s, the women's program enjoyed similar simultaneous success, rising to second in the AP Poll in 1990, and Young's strong post presence has the modern Lady Rebels back on the map.
Young offered a technically sound presence on the interior for America's 19th-ranked offense, using her stellar footwork and heady pump fakes to generate high-percentage opportunities. The double-double machine led the Mountain West in points, rebounds and field goal percentage while averaging five free throw attempts a game last year, converting at a 75 percent clip.
Almost as elite on the defensive end, Young helped lead UNLV to a remarkable 31-3 record last season, including a perfect 18-0 Mountain West record, and a spot in the AP rankings for the first time in over 20 years. Returning for year four in Las Vegas, Young will hope to lead her Rebels over the NCAA tournament hump, suffering first-round exits the last two seasons.
8. Taiyanna Jackson, Kansas (15.2 PPG, 66.1 2PT%)
Despite missing out on the NCAA tournament last season, it was still a remarkable campaign for Kansas, matching a program record with 25 wins en route to a WNIT title, and Jackson can claim an unquestioned statistical link to those historic victories — the Jayhawk finished sixth nationally last season with 7.5 win shares.
Jackson's scoring prowess comes with a remarkable efficiency and a rather pedestrian 21 percent usage rate, pointing to her dominance on the offensive glass as a source of offense. The Chicago-area native ranked second in the country in offensive rebounds, using her quickness and long arms to overcome box-out attempts and clean up her teammates' messes. Jackson will rarely attempt shots far from the rim, but her creativity with head fakes, impressive post arsenal and strong rolls to the rim leave her with plenty of good looks inside the paint.
Jackson and co. will look to leave no doubt in Lawrence this upcoming season as they Jayhawks return their top four scorers in hopes of making the NCAA tournament.
9. Cameron Brink, Stanford (15.1 PPG, 52.8 2PT%)
While Brink is best known for her stingy defense, she's also one of the elite offensive weapons in college basketball, finishing last season 39th across all players with 24.9 points per 40 minutes. Listed at just 6-foot, 4-inches, Brink's wingspan makes her a much tougher guard, forcing overwhelmed defenders into copious fouls that highlight a major strength in her game — Brink finished 10th last season with 7.4 free throws made per 40 minutes, a feat helped by her exceptional 85 percent clip at the charity stripe.
Brink's surprising quickness also makes her a tough guard in face up situations, and the fifth-year is an impressive passer with nearly two assists a game from the front court. Opening with its lowest preseason AP mark in nearly a decade, Brink will hope to inspire faith in her Stanford squad with another stellar year down low.
10. Katelyn Young, Murray State (21.3 PPG, 56.8 2PT%)
Finishing with an under-appreciated shout from the Ohio Valley conference, Young has been one of America's very best interior scorers over the last two seasons, surpassing 20 points per game in both with devastating efficiency. Young certainly fits with a Murray State slotted inside the top 100 for offensive rating, participating willingly in the Racers' movement-oriented offense and constantly battling for open looks both around the basket and on the perimeter — Young also stands out as a plus 3-point shooter.
Ranked 12th nationally in offensive win shares, Young is a well-rounded interior scorer, demonstrating a versatile skillset in post-up scenarios, cutting smartly to the basket and converting effectively at the free throw line. Despite a step back last season, Murray State has consistently battled atop the Ohio Valley Conference consistently in recent years and Young will hope to lead the Racers back to postseason consideration.
