The 2025-26 season is nowhere near over, and the NPOY conversations have truly only just begun, but it's safe to say there are three players absolutely dominating the landscape right now: UConn's Sarah Strong, Texas' Madison Booker, and Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes. All three bring a lot of diversity in terms of skill to the discussion, but they have one thing in common that is absolutely driving their candidacy: they are killer shooters.
Blakes, Strong, and Booker are major threats to every team they play. Multiple teams have admitted to being forced to scout for these players first and foremost ahead of games, and it's been abundantly clear when teams are focusing so much on taking one of these players down that they forget all three have elite, superbly talented teammates.
Sarah Strong leads the Huskies in pretty much anything
Strong is one of the most versatile players in college basketball, and she also leads the Huskies across the board in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, and field goal percentage. She's averaging 18.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 27.3 minutes of play this season, and recently became the third-fastest player out of UConn to hit 1,000 career points (she did so in 59 games; only Paige Bueckers and Maya Moore are ahead of her).
The Huskies will likely only be challenged by the Tennessee Lady Vols, who they host on February 1, for the rest of the regular season, which means Strong will continue to pack on impressive stats.
Madison Booker is a serious threat
This year's Longhorns squad is viciously talented, and Booker is at the top of everyone's scouting report because she's dazzlingly unafraid of backing down. The 6'1" junior is averaging 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 steals in 32.6 minutes of play, and has scored over 25 points in four of the team's games.
Texas will have a heavy and intense SEC schedule for the rest of the season, and that includes matches against Oklahoma, LSU, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee from the beginning of February on. If Booker wants to show she's got what it takes to be crowned NPOY, this is her time.
Mikayla Blakes is transforming Vanderbilt
If there is a true power story this season, it's what's happening in Nashville with the Vanderbilt Commodores. The team's 19-0 record is being led by Mikayla Blakes, who is averaging 25.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.3 steals in 32.5 minutes of play this season. Blakes will have plenty of opportunities to show what she's made of as the team winds its way through a schedule that includes upcoming matches against South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee.