Now that we’re about a month through the 2019-20 women’s college basketball season, we have a good sense of who the top scorers in the country might be this season. We knew Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu could be in the mix, but what about the others?
Through a handful of games, we’ve seen what the best 3-point shooters are capable of when they get hot, who’s willing to take hits in the paint to get to the free throw line, and who has caused a litany of problems for opposing defenses.
When it comes to scoring points in bunches, these are the players who have stood out so far and the ones who are candidates to win this season’s scoring title.
Note: Statistics are through Nov. 29 games.
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Stella Johnson, Senior, Guard — Rider
Johnson leads the nation in scoring, averaging 30.8 points per-game through Rider’s first five contests this season. In back-to-back games, she dropped 41 points on Lipscomb and then 39 points on North Florida. Johnson is shooting 42.6 percent from the floor this season and 37.9 percent from three-point range. She’s also made 86.4 percent of her free throws and is second in the country in total free throws made. In addition to her scoring totals, Johnson is averaging 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per-game. Rider is 3-2 this season with impressive wins over Penn State and Xavier. If Johnson keeps this scoring pace up, Rider could make a run at the MAAC title.
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Kai Moon, Senior, Guard — Binghamton
Moon’s play has lifted the Bearcats to a 7-0 start. She’s third in the nation in scoring, averaging 24.7 points per-game. Moon’s best performances so far include a 36-point outing against Lafayette and a 28-point showing over St. Bonaventure. Moon is also averaging 3.9 rebounds per-game and shooting 47.5 percent from 3-point range. Her 28 three-pointers made are the fourth-most in the country. A 5-foot-6 native of Bollingbrook, Illinois, Moon is on track to take home some hardware at the end of the season, and she might be able to lead Binghamton to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in the Division I ranks.
Chennedy Carter, Junior, Guard — Texas A&M
A two-time All-American and two-time All-SEC selection, Carter has been scoring in bunches since her freshman campaign at Texas A&M. A season ago, she averaged 24 points-per-game, which led the SEC and was fifth in the nation. This season, she’s picking up right where she left off for the Aggies, averaging 23.2 points per-game, which is sixth in the nation. Carter isn’t a marksman from three-point range or an expert in post play, but when she gets rolling, she’s tough to contain. The 5-foot-7 native of Mansfield, Texas scored 25 points on Duke, 29 points against Rice and 26 points in a win over USC. With Carter, the Aggies are capable of making a deep NCAA tournament run.
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Taylor Robertson, Sophomore, Guard — Oklahoma
Robertson is averaging 18 points per-game this season, which is a bit lower than the players listed above, but she gets mentioned here because she might be the best three-point shooter in the country. Robertson is making 52.6 percent of all of her attempts from behind the arc this season and her 30 made three’s through six games are the most in the nation. Robertson has made at least six three-pointers in a single game three times this season. She’s also averaging 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season, and is turning the ball over less than once per-game. If the stellar play of the 5-foot-7 native of McPherson, Kansas continues, the Sooners could make their way back into the NCAA tournament after missing out last season.
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Haley Gorecki, Senior, Guard — Duke
Gorecki is fourth in the ACC in scoring with 18.3 points per-game. Like Robertson, that's a bit lower than some other candidates on this list, but Gorecki has the potential to pile points up like Jenga blocks because of her knack for getting to the free throw line and knocking down those shots with ease. Gorecki is fourth in the nation in free throws attempted (57) and third in makes (51). The 6-foot Palatine, Illinois native is perfect from the charity stripe over her last three games -- making all 23 attempts -- and knocked down 13 free throws in a win over Idaho State last week. She's scored at least 23 points in a single game three times this season, has a three-point shooting percentage of 39.5, and is also averaging 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per-game this season. She's helping Duke win in a number of ways and could help the Blue Devils get back to the NCAA tournament this season.
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