The reason so many people love sports is because they can always surprise. Few would’ve predicted an LSU-Iowa title game, and fewer still could’ve imagined a 10 million viewer night coming. But another reason people love sports is because of the stars it produces.
So, if you put both of those things together, you get preseason All-America teams. They are both a collection of the stars whose games we’ve come to respect and a prediction of play for a sport that is wildly unpredictable. But we’ve done our best to peer into our crystal balls and pick the players we think will be the best and most impactful this season. Our women’s college basketball experts voted for The Athletic’s first- and second-team preseason All-America members, resulting in ties that produced two six-player teams.
First team
Caitlin Clark, guard, Iowa
Preseason All-America teams are about the expectations placed on a player. And no one faces higher (or higher point total) expectations than senior Caitlin Clark, who is a unanimous first-team selection and our highest vote recipient.
To understand what she can achieve this season, it’s important to realize what she has already accomplished and the foundation she has already laid. Last year, it seemed she broke a record in every game — the first…
