Mid-major spotlight: 5 women's college basketball players you should be watching

There are plenty of high-major players garnering national attention. From JuJu Watkins to Paige Bueckers to Hannah Hidalgo, the spotlight is on them.

But the mid-major stars deserve the love too. Here are just five of many mid-major women’s basketball players you should be watching.

Harmoni Turner, Harvard

Harmoni Turner has been lighting it up for Harvard all season, whether it was a 40-piece against a high-major program or an outstanding performance against a then-ranked Indiana team. She’s averaging 21.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and three steals per game, while shooting 43% from the field. 

Turner is nearing the end of her senior year and has Harvard in position to contend for an NCAA Tournament bid in the final season of her college career. 

Katelyn Young, Murray State

Murray State’s Katelyn Young, also a senior, is in her fifth year with the program. It’s rare to see a player of her caliber stay with the same mid-major throughout the entirety of their career, but Young has thrived with the Racers. 

She’s averaging 21.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season. The Racers are second in the MVC standings with four games remaining. 

Katie Dinnebier, Drake

When talking about Missouri Valley seniors, you can’t not mention Drake point guard Katie Dinnebier. She’s averaging 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting 51% from the field and 40% from deep. 

Dinnebier has recorded two 40-plus point games this season and a 39-point performance in the Bulldogs’ 2-point loss at Iowa State. 

Ashley Sofilkanich, Bucknell

Bucknell’s Ashley Sofilkanich is only a sophomore and she’s already a dominant force in the Patriot League. She’s recorded eight double-doubles this season and had a monster game against Youngstown State with nine blocks. 

The 6-foot-3 post player is averaging 20 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. 

Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy

Another stellar sophomore this year is Navy’s Zanai Barnett-Gay, a 5-foot-8 guard from Maryland. Barnett-Gay has recorded six double-doubles and 12 games with 20 points or more. 

She’s averaging 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.