Now that Big Ten play has begun, it’s worth assessing which players are most important to their teams’ aspirations and ambitions.
The obvious answer is, of course, Caitlin Clark. As Zachary Draves has detailed, the Iowa senior guard has been spectacular. With her name already etched in the record books of women’s college basketball, she added another accomplishment as fourth-ranked Iowa rolled over Minnesota on Saturday, becoming the Big Ten’s all-time assists leader. She followed up that accolade with a game winner, draining a near-logo 3 to help the Hawkeyes escape against Michigan State on Tuesday.
Another player sure to influence conference outcomes? Indiana grad big Mackenzie Holmes. As Eric Nemchock recently analyzed, Holmes is a low-post scoring savant, possessing a deep bag of post moves that allow her to score extremely efficiently for the Hoosiers.
Here are three other players whose performances could swing their teams’ standing in the conference:
Laila Phelia, Michigan (11-3, 2-0)
Michigan opened conference play with a…
