Hidalgo, Betts lead preseason All-America team

Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame, Lauren Betts of UCLA and Madison Booker of Texas header The Associated Press All-America women's assemblage hoops squad released Tuesday.

The trio were first-team All-Americans past outpouring aft having stellar seasons. They were joined connected the preseason squad this twelvemonth by UConn's Sarah Strong and South Carolina's Ta'Niya Latson. Latson transferred to the Gamecocks this twelvemonth aft spending the archetypal 3 years of her vocation astatine Florida State.

Hidalgo and Betts each earned 29 votes from from the 31-member nationalist media sheet that chooses the AP Top 25 each week. Strong garnered 28 votes portion Booker had 23 and Latson 14.

Hidalgo is coming disconnected a play that saw the talented defender go conscionable the 4th sophomore to gain All-America honors successful her archetypal 2 years. USC's JuJu Watkins besides accomplished that feat past season, but is out for this twelvemonth portion she's recovering from a torn ACL she suffered successful the NCAA Tournament. Courtney Paris and Maya Moore were besides All-Americans their archetypal 2 seasons.

Hidalgo averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Fighting Irish past season. She volition instrumentality connected a bigger relation this play with the nonaccomplishment of the different 4 starters to either the WNBA oregon the transportation portal.

"I cognize the value of that is heavy, the crown is ace heavy," Notre Dame manager Niele Ivey said. "But I consciousness similar she has done a large occupation of surrounding herself with the close network, the Notre Dame network, but besides her family. She is precise grounded with her household and her faith."

Betts, a senior, helped UCLA scope No. 1 successful the AP Top 25 for the archetypal clip successful schoolhouse past past season. The 6-foot-7 halfway averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds to get the Bruins to their archetypal Final Four earlier they mislaid to Strong and UConn.

Strong had a sensational freshman play for the Huskies, helping them triumph the school's 12th nationalist championship. She averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, and manager Geno Auriemma has said she is adjacent amended this year. UConn is No. 1 successful the preseason Top 25.

"Every day, determination isn't a time that goes by that 1 of the coaches and I don't look astatine each different and go, 'Man, there's conscionable thing astir her close now,'" Auriemma said. "I can't wait. I look guardant to going to signifier conscionable to spot what mightiness hap next, immoderate things she mightiness propulsion off."

Latson led the state successful scoring astatine Florida State past season, averaging 25.2 points a game. With 1 twelvemonth near of eligibilty, it's not conscionable astir trying to triumph a nationalist title but getting prepared for the WNBA. Coach Dawn Staley has had a batch of occurrence producing pros, including four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson.

Latson volition person to look Booker astatine slightest erstwhile this play successful the SEC. The Longhorns' inferior helping averaged 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists past season. Booker helped Texas scope the Final Four past play earlier the Longhorns mislaid to South Carolina.

Betts, Hidalgo and Booker were each first-team All-Americans ...