The 25 best players in the 2019 women's NCAA Tournament

One of the most dominant post players in the country, the 6-foot-4 Anigwe is fun to watch simply because she makes getting to the basket and pulling down rebounds look easy. She's averaging 22.9 points and leads the nation at a whopping 16.3 points boards per contest. The bad news: Cal might not be around long enough in the tournament for fans to appreciate her game.

She's the best player on the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Brown's numbers (15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks per game) don't stand out like those of most other national Player of the Year candidates, but she plays on a team complete with plenty of talent and balance. It's Brown's mere 6-foot-7 presence that brings about intimidation to opponents on either end of the floor.

Charles averages 16.9 points, but in the Big Ten tournament, she put up more than 25.0 per contest and scored a career-high 36 in the championship game. Maryland earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning Charles should have time to shine before a potential matchup with No. 2 seed Connecticut in the regional semifinals.

Despite Baylor's dominance, Carleton was named Big 12 Player of the Year. It was no doubt a well-deserved honor for the senior, who averages 21.4 points, 8.6 boards and 4.1 assists. The Canadian standout now gets to lead No.3 seed Iowa State into the NCAA Tournament where, should it reach the Sweet 16, it would not have far to go with the regional in Chicago. 

The good news for Carter, Texas A&M and college basketball fans, really, is that she expects to be ready for the Big Dance after missing the SEC Tournament with a hand injury. The star sophomore led the league at 22.5 points per game and will try to help the fourth-seeded Aggies find their way to Chicago and the regional semifinals. 

It's been a truly special season for Collier, who leads the Huskies in points (20.9) and rebounds (10.5). She's elevated her game to the point where this has become her team. UConn is not as dominant as in seasons past, but Collier has the ability to take over games. Even with the talent surrounding her, she could be asked to start doing that this weekend.

Cox and teammate Kalani Brown pose perhaps the most daunting frontcourt duo in the nation. They work well with each other, obviously, within the Baylor collective. Cox is averaging 12.6 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds, plus an impressive 2.5 blocks, for the overall No. 1 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. 

There are some who feel the Missouri star can be a "dirty" player, while that notion might be blurred due to how hard she plays. Averaging 18.0 points and shooting 48.7 percent, Cunningham is Missouri's all-time leading scorer. This will be the senior's last chance at making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament with the Tigers as the No. 7 seed in the Greensboro Region.

It's easy for Dangerfield to get overlooked while playing with a couple of All-American's in the Connecticut lineup, but there's no doubt her importance to the cause. She averages 13.7 points but 6.1 assists while keeping the UConn motor running. Dangerfield is also a 92.7 percent free-throw shooter, which usually comes in handy during March.

The second-leading scorer in the nation, Dillard averages 25.2 points. She might not be the most accurate shooter in the country, but Dillard finds ways to get the ball in the hole and that's what matters, especially this time of year. Buffalo made a surprise run to the Sweet 16 in 2018, and with Dillard playing at a high level, the 10th seed this season might be in line to turn heads again.

The most explosive player in the tournament, Durr gets one last chance to strut her stuff on the national collegiate stage. As the All-American Durr (21.3 ppg) goes, so do the Cardinals. Boasting a No. 1 seed, a run to the Final Four is not out of the question for Louisville and neither should be a game of 30 — or even 40 — points from Durr at some point during the tournament. 

Frost might very well be the top mid-major player in the country. She earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Year honors this season and will try to lead Central Michigan on another underdog run through the NCAA Tournament. Frost ranks among the national leaders averaging 21.8 points and 13.5 rebounds and is also handing out 2.4 assists per contest.

Depending on who is doing the talking, Gustafson should be the national Player of the Year in women's college basketball. She leads the nation in scoring at 28.0 points per contest and is hitting 69.6 percent of her shots — not to mention, she's pulling down an average of 13.3 rebounds. Her Hawkeyes will likely need to get by Baylor to reach the Final Four, but they did win the Big Ten Tournament, so anything seems possible.

Hebard is a three-time All-Pac-12 first-team selection and with good reason. She's been one of the most consistent paint performers in the nation during those three seasons at Oregon. Hebard (16.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg) enters the NCAA Tournament second in the country, shooting 68.2 percent, and she hopes to help the second-seeded Ducks on a long run through the bracket.

For the second straight season, Hittner was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. The junior enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 19.8 points while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. Drake is a No. 10 seed, so it has some work to do to advance out of the first round, but with Hittner on board the chance for an upset is there.

The SEC's Freshman of the Year,  Howard has made quite an impression on Kentucky fans and pretty much everybody else in women's college basketball. She's exciting to watch, mostly because she's always going hard. Howard led the Wildcats in points (16.3 ppg) and rebounds (6.7). However, Kentucky is a No. 6 seed, so there is no guarantee we'll get to see her hang around long in the tournament.  

The best guard — and perhaps player — in America is poised, along with Ruthy Hebard, to guide Oregon to its first Final Four. That won't be an easy task, but with Ionescu (19.6 ppg, 8.1 apg, 7.5 rpg) running the show, anything should be possible. Losing to Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament title game might also light a spark of motivation for Ionsecu and her teammates.

It's been an inconsistent season for the Tar Heels, but Kea is someone who posses great promise for the next level. A projected first-round WNBA pick later this year, Kea averaged a team-high 17.1 points during the season. However, the chance of seeing her for more than one game in this tournament might be a stretch, with North Carolina as a No. 9 seed.

The goal for McCowan and her teammates is simple: win a national championship. The Bulldogs are among the top four teams in the NCAA Tournament, and McCowan is among the top five or six players in the field. She's averaging 17.8 points, but the 6-foot-7 senior's 13.5 rebounds and work defensively in the paint make her a force.

So what does last year's Final Four hero have up her sleeve for 2019? It would seem impossible for Ogunbowale to top her two game-winning shots from last season's tournament, but we shouldn't be surprised if she finds a way to thrill fans again. It's been a solid season for the Irish leader, who's averaging 21.0 points and almost five rebounds. She's the heart and soul of the reigning national champions, a team capable of a repeat.

Perhaps not a household name among casual women's basketball fans, but Rice is certainly somebody to watch. She's an exciting player who leads Gonzaga with 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. Her value to the cause of the No. 5 seed Bulldogs will be even more at a premium with key teammates Jill Townsend and Laura Stockton reportedly out with injuries.

Fingers are crossed for the Huskies and their fans that Samuelson will be ready to go when they open the NCAA Tournament against Towson on Friday. The UConn star senior has sat out the team's last four games due to back spasms but has returned to practice. Connecticut certainly has enough talent to avoid an upset at any point prior to the regional final, but being without Samuelson (18.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.8 apg) is not ideal.

A Wooden Award candidate, Shepard remains a tough competitor in the paint but might also be one of the best passing post players in the game while dishing out 3.2 assists per contest for the top-seeded Irish. She's been a quality complement in the inside-outside game with Arike Ogunbowale. The senior is averaging just shy of a double-double at 16.5 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Another stellar post presence, Smith averages 19.6 points while shooting 51.2 percent and almost 40 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, the 6-foot-4 Smith averages 2.4 blocks per game, so the opposition, especially in the early rounds, faces a difficult challenge while making its way to the hoop. In addition to being a national Player of the Year candidate, Smith was named the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Notre Dame has arguably the best starting five in the country, and Young is a big reason. She might be the most complete player on the Irish roster — a player capable of excelling at both ends of the floor. Young is averaging 14.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and a team-high 5.3 assists for a squad that has a relatively local road to the Final Four.