Top 5 NCAAW stars that will lead Defensive player of the Year race next season ft. Hannah Hidalgo

The 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year field has to start with the defending winner. Lauren Betts of UCLA won the award last season and will be back on the west coast for another season and a chance to repeate. But before Betts starts making room for the award, let's consider her qualifications and those of four other potential winners. Here's the top 5 candidates for defensive Player of the Year.

Top 5 women's starts that will lead the defensive Player of the Year race

Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts could repeat as the winner this season. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

5. Lauren Betts, UCLA

A first-team All-American last year, Betts was great at everything, averaging 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds. She also blocked 100 shots, which led the Big Ten and was fifth in the NCAA. Betts has only improved with each season and just because she's the defending winner, don't write her off from candidacy in 2025-26.

4. JuJu Watkins, USC

Watkins was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist last season. Admittedly, she's going to be recovering from her season-ending knee injury, but Watkins has elite skills. In two seasons, Watkins had 150 steals and 114 blocked shots. She can do it all and as long as she's healthy, she should be in the thick of the hunt for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

3. Ny'ceara Pryor, Texas A&M

After three years at tiny Sacred Heart, the 5-foot-3 Pryor had transferred to Texas A&M. Pryor averaged 17.8, 18.7 and then 19.6 points per game in her three years at Sacred Heart. But she's here because Pryor had 122, 115 and 120 steals over those seasons. Pryor could climb into the top 10 on the all-time steals list with another big defensive season at A&M.

2. Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee

Cooper played a year at South Carolina and decided late to transfer, so had to sit out a year. She made it worthwhile, though, because as a sophomore at Tennessee, Cooper grabbed 105 steals, tops in the SEC and eighth nationally. Cooper averaged 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Vols. Cooper could jump on the Defensive Player of the Year radar in 2025-26.

1. Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

The two-time All-American at Notre Dame feels like a solid pick to be Defensive Player of the Year next season. In her freshman season, Hidalgo had 160 steals. She dropped to 119 last season, but that still led the ACC and was fifth in the NCAA. She's already in the ACC's all-time top 25 in steals after two seasons. A year ago, Hidalgo was a finalist, but could win Defensive Player of the Year.

What do you think of our women's Defensive Player of the Year candidates? Share your take below in our comments section!