5 biggest women's college basketball stars in the Big Ten to look out for in 2024 season ft. JuJu Watkins

The Big Ten Conference became more competitive this off-season due to conference realignment. USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins, Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies were added to the mix, increasing anticipation for new rivalries.

With this, here are a few players from the Big Ten conference who should be on your watch list in the upcoming 2024-25 college season.

5 biggest women's college basketball stars in the Big Ten to look out for

1) JuJu Watkins

After leading USC to the Elite Eight last season, JuJu Watkins is back with her focus on the NCAA championship. She averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks last season.

The Trojans have made major additions to the roster through the transfer portal and with freshman recruits. They are ranked No. 1 in the 2024 recruiting class with the addition of No. 6 Kennedy Smith, No. 13 Kayleigh Heckel, No. 16 Avery Howell and more.

Last year's efforts were largely dependent on the young guard. However, with all these additions, JuJu Watkins is poised to lead USC on a historic run.

2) Kiki Rice

Kiki Rice, along with Lauren Betts and Charisma Osborne, led the Bruins to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in the last two years and will be looking to advance further in the upcoming season. Rice averaged 13.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals last year.

In May, the guard, along with Caitlin Clark and Kamilla Cardoso, was featured on ESPN's documentary "Full Court Press." With her incredible performance, Kiki Rice is expected to lead UCLA on a better run in the upcoming season.

3) Lucy Olsen

After three years with the Villanova Wildcats, Lucy Olsen transferred to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the off-season. She averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals last season and was the third-best scorer in the country.

Olsen will replace Caitlin Clark after the guard left for the WNBA. With a similar shooting range and scoring efforts, Olsen could make up for Clark's absence.

4) KiKi Iriafen

After low-performing two years with the Stanford Cardinal, Kiki Iriafen blew up last season as a junior. She averaged 19.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

With Standford's move to the ACC, Iriafen and the Cardinal were set to travel across the coast for their games. In addition to this, coach Tara VanDerveer retired after 38 years. With all these changes, Iriafen chose to move to the Cardinal rival, USC Trojans, in the off-season.

Joining with JuJu Watkins and Talia von Oelhoffen, she is expected to scale new heights in the upcoming season.

5) Ajae Petty

With Rebecca Mikulasikova and Taiyier Parks graduating, the Buckeyes needed a star forward to fill the void, and Ajae Petty was the answer. After two years with LSU and two more with the Kentucky Wildcats, Petty chose to spend her graduate season with Ohio State.

She was one of the most sought-after transfers in the portal, and she is anticipated to bring her A-game to the Buckeyes, who hope to maintain their status as the best Big Ten team following the realignment. Ajae Petty averaged 14.2 points and 10.6 rebounds last season, and she will join Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry to form the conference's strongest frontcourt.

Who are your favorites from the Big Ten Conference in the upcoming season? Let us know in the comments section below.