5 best performances by Player of the Year candidates in women’s college basketball, ranked

The regular season is over and March is here. The NCAA Tournament is coming soon. There will also be a season of women's college basketball awards.

All year round, players have been amazed us with head-breaking highlights, record book-worthy performances and eye-opening statistics. We've seen the National Player of the Year award step-up candidate in a big moment, like when USC's Juju Watkins burned a team victory over UCLA in the regular season finale to win the Big Ten regular season title. I've seen great players consistently all year round, like the LSU double double machine at Anesah Morrow. And we've seen players really up the game in a certain area Notre DameOlivia Miles of the film bounced off a terrible knee injury and became an excellent three-point shooter.

Before March Madness arrives, revisit the best performances of the season by top National Player of the Year candidates.

Anesah Morrow, LSU

for LSUMoreau's best performance of the year won Florida in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. The senior forward scored a season-high 36 points for the short-handed Tigers – they were playing without star guard Frauje Johnson – and she also grabbed 14 rebounds, with two assists and three steels. Morrow has been flying a little under the radar this season, but she is one of the best players in the country and is a full stop.

Paige Bueckers, UConn

With solid supporting cast around her, including Sarah Strong, Aji Hood and Caitlyn Chen, the Bookers aren't always packing stat sheets this season, but she's simply been great in a few games this season. One of them was a non-conference victory at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina in November. There, the fifth-year security guard received 29 points, four rebounds and four assists. Her performance included this impressive buzzer stab at the end of the first quarter.

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

One of the nation's most electric players, Hidalgo turned his head all season with his ability to pick up passes, smooth handles, lightning and sharp shooting. There are a few games to choose from when choosing the best performance of the season, but when Ireland beat his rival, few were better than her outing against Marquee's opponent on December 12th uconn. Hidalgo recorded 29 points, a season-high 10 rebounds, a season-high eight assists and five steels.

Lauren Betts, UCLA

Betts has been stable for the Bruins all season, but her best game came in mid-January Maryland Terrapin. Betts shot a near-perfect 14/14 from the floor, scoring a career-high 33 points, moving along seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks. UCLA won 82-67, comfortably, with 6ft 7 Betts being a big reason.

Juju Watkins, USC

It's easy to argue that Watkins' first match of the season against rival UCLA was her best outing of her sophomore campaign. At that point, heading to February 13th, the Bruins had not lost the game all season. And collaborated with Lauren Betts. I entered the Gallen Center and realized I couldn't contain Watkins. She poured with 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a career-high eight blocks. Watkins took over the game, determined the pace and had a major impact on both ends of the floor.