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.

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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 player to record a 40-point triple-double in an NCAA Tournament game, a 90-game streak of scoring in double figures (also an NCAA record), the first player in NCAA women’s basketball history with a 1,000-point, 300-assist season, hitting more 3s last season than any player in a single season since at least 2009. Since 2000, a player has had a five-game span of scoring 150 points and notching 50 assists only six times. Spoiler: Clark accounts for all six of those.

And though her logo shooting range makes the most highlights, it’s her court vision and passing that round out her offensive arsenal. The 6-foot guard led the nation with 8.6 assists per game, and that element will be crucial this season as she works in an offensive system without her dynamic duo forward partner, Monika Czinano, who exhausted her eligibility after last season. That means even more pressure falls on Clark’s shoulders to create for herself and others.

Clark’s game will bring more eyes to women’s college hoops, but her play also will be the determining factor in how far Iowa goes. Come March, the Hawkeyes can’t afford Clark to have an off night, but her competitive nature might be the scariest thing about her — that high bar being set is one she fully intends to clear.

“She’s never satisfied, but that’s the beauty of basketball — you never play a perfect game. There’s always things that you can work on,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I think she understands that. … It’s not like she’s sitting back and enjoying this time of her being the National Player of the Year. She wants to get it again. She’s wired that way, where she just always wants to do better.”

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Angel Reese, forward, LSU

Reese is a game changer on both ends of the floor.

Last season, the bulk of her offensive damage came in the paint, with 90 percent of her field goals coming close to the basket (and it certainly helps that she’s a rebounding juggernaut, pulling down nearly one-fifth of the Tigers’ misses last season). But she spent a lot of her offseason expanding her shooting range and getting into a consistent flow to convert midrange shots. With Aneesah Morrow coming into the fold, Reese will have the offensive opportunity to swing out more, and opponents will test her with those farther shots. Earlier this season, associate head coach Bob Starkey told The Athletic he spent a lot of time in the gym working with Reese to consistently knock down those shots, and he has been impressed with her discipline. Regardless of what he required, no matter how basic it seemed, “she never questioned it,” he said.

No one was better last season at drawing opponents into foul trouble than Reese, the other unanimous first-team selection. She led the nation with 339 trips to the free-throw line (scoring 240 points for the Tigers without a second coming off the game clock). Defensively, she plays within LSU’s system that favors intensity and athleticism, and she excels at both. She held opponents to 0.65 points per shot last season while she was defending them and was one of just two power-conference players to average at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game last season.

Reese, a 6-3 fourth-year player whom LSU lists as a junior, set an NCAA record last season with 34 double-doubles (including 23 consecutive double-doubles to start the season). Even though the reigning national champs have more talent this season, it’s fair to expect and assume (heck, to know) that streak will continue this season in Baton Rouge for the Bayou Barbie.

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Paige Bueckers, guard, UConn

Bueckers is notably the only player on either the first- or second-team who doesn’t have 2022-23 stats because of her season-ending ACL injury in August 2022 that kept her out last season. But, in her first season and a half in Storrs, Bueckers put enough on display and racked up enough hardware (hello, 2021 Naismith, Wooden, AP Player of the Year) that we have a pretty firm idea of her baseline. If that’s the baseline, and she has added 15 pounds of muscle and a season of absolute determination to return to the court better … then watch out.

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Bueckers — a 6-foot senior who has two seasons of eligibility remaining after this season — is a true three-level scorer. In 46 career games for the Huskies, she has shot 70 percent at the rim, 46 percent in the midrange and 43 percent from deep, according to Pivot Analysis. And now, with a healthy Azzi Fudd and Nika Mühl having emerged as an elite point guard, the Huskies will have ballhandling options so Bueckers can be used in different positions to create on- or off-ball, be a distributor or a shot hunter.

With a rotating door of personnel last season, the Huskies never got into a groove for their defense, which excelled when Bueckers was available (holding opponents to 53 points per game on 34 percent shooting during her freshman season and keeping them under 56 points a game on 36 percent shooting when she was a sophomore). Bueckers, a great on-ball defender and defensive disruptor (she averaged 2.3 steals per game as a freshman), has the potential to continue if this unit stays healthy. UConn could win a national title, and Bueckers could be the one leading the charge.

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Mackenzie Holmes, forward, Indiana

Holmes has been a model of consistency the past few seasons, and now as a fifth-year player, she returned to help Indiana cement itself among the elite. As its fulcrum, she is good enough to do exactly that.

Holmes, who is using her bonus COVID-19 eligibility, is best close to the basket, which is where the Hoosiers need her. She shot 72 percent at the rim last season, according to Pivot Analysis, and she improved at drawing contact to get opponents into foul trouble and herself to the free-throw line. From her junior to senior seasons, she nearly doubled her free-throw attempts per game (3.1 to 5.8). Though she didn’t use it often, her midrange game did take a step forward. She attempted only one midrange shot per game last season, but she hit 43 percent of them.

Indiana spreads the floor around Holmes, allowing her to get to work in the post. At 6-3, she is an outstanding scorer on the block and sees the floor well. Considering how often she handles the ball on post-ups, she doesn’t turn it over much. Holmes also had an assist percentage in the 55th percentile last season, per CBB Analytics, which is more in the range of perimeter creators than bigs.

Holmes was also the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season, anchoring the Hoosiers defense that was the best in the conference with her rebounding and rim protection. She can afford to be a little less conservative this season now that Indiana has more frontcourt depth behind her. The Hoosiers might diversify their defensive schemes; Holmes has proved she can play the role of traditional dropback center, but becoming more versatile defensively would raise Indiana’s ceiling, along with Holmes’ pro prospects.

Cameron Brink, forward, Stanford

Brink began to establish herself as one of Stanford’s next star forwards as a freshman. She became a reliable scorer (albeit sometimes off the bench) finishing in the 99th percentile nationally in 2-point field goal percentage, per Her Hoop Stats, and key rebounder (with 2.2 offensive rebounds per game to finish in the 89th percentile nationally).

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That 2020-21 Stanford team was loaded with veteran leadership and won the national championship. A year later as a full-time starter, Brink helped anchor the Cardinal’s run back to the Final Four. Last season, however, was full of change, and Brink and Haley Jones were their big two. Stanford fell short of expectations, losing on its home floor to Ole Miss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, with Jones in the WNBA, even more will be on Brink’s shoulders.

Each year, she has looked more comfortable on the court and her production has increased. Last season, she recorded career highs in scoring, rebounding and assists and was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year. Coach Tara VanDerveer cited Brink’s passing, scoring and overall effort as areas where Brink improved this offseason. “She really got excited about shooting that 3,” VanDerveer said at Pac-12 media day.

All that is great if Brink, who is 6-4, can stay on the floor. She’s led Stanford in fouls per game all three seasons, including 2.6 fouls per game last season. VanDerveer says she and Brink recognize how imperative it is to avoid the issue this season. “She’s aggressive and understands how important she is for our team to be out there,” VanDerveer said. Her availability will be key, both for her personal accolades and team success.

Cotie McMahon, forward, Ohio State

The first team is a collection of upperclassmen and players who’ve created their own legacies. McMahon is only a year into creating hers, but make no mistake: She is in the right company.

As a freshman, McMahon was a 35-game starter and made an impact in every aspect of the game. She averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. In each of those categories, she was the second-leading Buckeyes player. It’s not easy to affect a power conference team in all of those ways, especially as a freshman. In fact, last season, only 15 players nationally in power conferences averaged at least 15 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal over 30 games — and all except two were juniors or seniors.

McMahon’s ability to step into the college game with ease was aided by the fact she enrolled a semester early. Ingraining herself into the program during the winter and spring of 2021 gave her a jump-start to learn the system and build her body to handle the churn of a college season. But even so, some of her freshman season just had to be chalked up to this: McMahon is special.

As a sophomore on a team with Final Four potential, McMahon will have an opportunity to show exactly how special. Though some players go through a sophomore slump, we’re not expecting anything of the sort for a player who can give Clark a run for her money as the most exciting player in the Big Ten.

Second team

Kamilla Cardoso, center, South Carolina

The reigning SEC Sixth Woman of the Year will be playing a much larger role for South Carolina this season. Coach Dawn Staley has said she wants Cardoso to be dominant. And as the Gamecocks transition into a new identity after graduating a class of seniors who went 129-9 over four years, Cardoso’s going to be a huge part of their success.

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In limited minutes last season, Cardoso was an obvious impact player at 6-7. She averaged 9.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just under 19 minutes a game. She defended well not only in team defense but also (often poorly planned by opponents) one-on-one matchups. She picked up fewer than two fouls per game, which should be a good harbinger for her stepping into increased minutes this season. But what statistics don’t account for are the number of shots she adjusted, lanes she cut off or game plans she blew up simply because of her presence in the paint — and that might be where Cardoso is most valuable to South Carolina. She changes everything opponents think they can or should do.

But Staley’s biggest challenge this year could be getting Cardoso to think of herself as more of a Plan A player.

“She’s very, very unselfish, and a lot of times, much like Aliyah (Boston), will pass out to people who shoot half her field goal percentage,” Staley told the Associated Press. “Can’t do that. You can’t. You’ve got to bet on yourself sometimes.”

Georgia Amoore, guard, Virginia Tech

Amoore was one of the better-kept secrets in college basketball until last season, comfortably playing in the shadow of two-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley. But after her junior-year tear through the second half of the conference season, an MVP run in the ACC tournament and helping lead Virginia Tech to its first Final Four, Amoore isn’t in hiding anymore.

And that bodes well for a player who consistently rose to the occasion in Virginia Tech’s biggest moments. In games against Quad 1 opponents, Amoore raised her scoring average, drew more fouls and shot better from 2-point range and the free-throw line. And who can forget her one-woman evisceration of Ohio State’s press in the Elite Eight? She simply dribbled through a defense that had befuddled top offenses all season.

As the Hokies once again welcome a large crew of transfers, Amoore might be tempted to demur again as she helps new teammates settle in, much as she did last season with Kayana Traylor and Taylor Soule. But the 2023 calendar year proved Virginia Tech is at its best when Amoore is aggressive; when Amoore scored at least 21 points, the Hokies were 12-0. Her speed is nearly unmatched as is her ability to create space on that trademark stepback 3-pointer. Coach Kenny Brooks has called her the Hokies’ most important player. For Virginia Tech to build on last year’s historic campaign, it will be up to Amoore to set the tone.

Alissa Pili, forward, Utah

Perhaps no player in the country last season blossomed with a new program like Pili. She arrived at Utah after three seasons with USC and immediately starred. In her first game for the Utes, she came off the bench and scored 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting — a performance so prolific, she started every game after. Pili, who is 6-3, spent the season proving that outing wasn’t an anomaly. She led Utah with 20.7 points per game, scoring 20 or more points 18 times and double figures in all but one game. She was the Utes’ leading rebounder and a willing passer, finishing as one of six players averaging at least two assists per game.

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For her efforts, Pili was the Pac-12 Player of the Year and earned WBCA All-America honors. Now, in her fifth season, she’ll have to do it all again. “She has completely bought in without ego to what we’re trying to do as a team,” coach Lynne Roberts said at Pac-12 media day. “When you do that, when you’re a talent like she is, everybody rallies behind you and pushes.”

As Utah builds upon last season’s No. 2 seed and Sweet 16 appearance, Pili said she’s been focusing on being a smarter player and improving as a leader. There’s no reason to think she won’t be as productive this season, even as opponents will key in on her from November onward.

Rori Harmon, guard, Texas

Harmon spent this offseason rebuilding her stamina so she can feel confident playing for 36 minutes a game, 36 games this season. Like UConn, the Longhorns had a rotating door of personnel last season due to injuries. Harmon missed the first few games of the season with a foot injury, but she attempted to be the glue that held Texas together. Though her overall shooting percentage dipped last season as a sophomore, she ended up as the only player other than Caitlin Clark to average more than 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game.

Beyond that, the 5-6 guard was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 2.3 steals per game and picking up opponents’ top ballhandlers for all 94 feet of the floor. She’ll still be that lead attacker on both ends of the floor, but Harmon said that after this offseason, she thinks she’s even faster — a statement that should terrify opponents. She also said she’s worked on adding lean muscle mass. “She has worked hard — on her physique, her physical conditioning, just overall,” Texas coach Vic Shaefer said. “She continues to mature physically, emotionally and mentally. Her pace of play is really what I think permeates through my team.”

As a junior, she’s going to be all that and more for the Longhorns. With a healthy supporting cast, her assists should go up as well as her shooting efficiency as she’s able to find higher-percentage shots. Her defensive mentality will remain, and if she can push Texas and its pace hard enough through the season, she very well could end up as a first-team All-American come March.

Ta’Niya Latson, guard, Florida State

In 2022-23, Latson scored 21.3 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent on 2-pointers, 36.2 percent on 3-pointers and 85.9 percent on free throws. She was in the top 10 in the country in total made foul shots. Those are the box score statistics of a seasoned veteran, not a freshman in one of the best conferences. She was a worthy National Freshman of the Year as the only rookie to ever lead the ACC in scoring, and she also contributed 1.6 steals per game on the other end.

If Latson maintains that production the remainder of her college career, she’ll put herself in the All-America conversation the next three seasons. But this is simply the starting point for what Latson hopes to achieve. She is working on becoming more efficient at attacking the basket and more elusive in the half  court, and she wants to improve her assist percentage from 21.2 now the Seminoles have more offensive options. Latson, who is 5-8, didn’t get a chance to play in the postseason last year after an injury knocked her out of it, so she’s entering this season with a hunger to play at the highest level.

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Latson will have an opportunity to showcase her improvement early as Florida State has a loaded nonconference schedule featuring games against Tennessee, Florida, UCLA and potentially Stanford. If she and the Seminoles show out in those contests, Latson will have to be mentioned among the best guards in the country all season long.

Aaliyah Edwards, forward, UConn

Few things have been guaranteed around the Huskies program in recent seasons. But if there was one certainty, it was that Aaliyah Edwards would be on the court. She has played in every game the past two years, the lone UConn player to do so. With her durability has come production. Edwards, a 6-3 forward, was the Big East’s Most Improved Player last year after her statistical averages doubled in several categories.

Although she isn’t a threat from 3, Edwards finished in the 96th percentile in field goal percentage around the rim, per CBB Analytics, and she has a reliable elbow jumper. With Bueckers and Fudd healthy, and rejoining a lineup in which guard Nika Mühl finished nationally with 7.9 assists per game, Edwards stands to benefit as one of the country’s top pick-and-roll options — she could be especially dangerous in short-roll situations. Look for her production to increase again as Bueckers and Fudd take more offensive pressure off her shoulders. Defensively, she’ll help the backcourt, playing the role of a veteran forward who can defend smaller wings and bigs.

Edwards is the most experienced UConn big, and she’ll be especially important in matchups against the nation’s top centers and power forwards. As with Brink, Edwards’ fouls are worth watching, as she led the Huskies with 2.6 per game last season and was third on the Huskies in 2021-22 with 2.4 per contest. But if she can avoid foul trouble and remain injury-free, production should follow. And much like last year, Edwards might be in line to receive countless end-of-year accolades.

Others receiving votes: Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech; Rickea Jackson, Tennessee.

(Illustration: Samuel Richardson / The Athletic; photo of Caitlin Clark: Bailey Hillesheim / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; photo of Angel Reese: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images; photo of Paige Bueckers: Jessica Hill / Associated Press)