BRISTOL, Conn. -- We approach this womens college basketball season uncertain of something that weve gotten used to being pretty obvious: Who is the best player in the country? For that matter, who are the five best? Or the 10 best?Were counting down espnWs top 25 players this week, with No. 1 to be revealed Friday. This much we can already tell you: Its not Breanna Stewart.In the 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, there was no doubt the UConn forward was the transcendent star of womens college hoops. There was nothing to debate or argue, not legitimately anyway. It was an open-and-shut case.Stewart came into college with the grandest of expectations and then did everything she set out to: winning four NCAA titles, and getting the most outstanding player award every year in the process.But with no Stewie left in the college game, who takes over there as the spotlight player? Or is there one?Not only do we not know who its going to be, we dont know whether it actually exists, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said Tuesday. Everything is an evolving story.Auriemma was among a group of coaches and players who visited ESPN on Tuesday to talk about the upcoming season. That sense of uncertainty, as it pertains to the big picture, was pervasive but not unpleasant.Hey, nothing against Stewart, Moriah Jefferson or Morgan Tuck, whose experience and talent basically dominated the overall storyline of womens hoops the past few years. But theyre now in the WNBA, and their departures have left a door open to, well, a lot of people.I dont think theres a clear-cut player of the year; theres a lot of good choices right now, said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, whose team is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25. I think in recruiting over the last few years, kids are not all going to the same place. We have Brianna Turner. Ohio State has Kelsey Mitchell. South Carolina gets Aja Wilson. Those three players alone have contributed to parity.Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley encourages Wilson to aim high.I feel like its a goal I want to shoot for, Wilson, a junior forward, said of winning national player of the year. But just being in the running is a lot of fun.There are also players such as Washingtons Kelsey Plum, who averaged 25.9 points per game last season, just behind fellow guard Mitchells 26.1. The two Kelseys both admire each others games and feel theyve picked up things from watching the other.Kelsey can shoot it from deep, said Plum, who helped lead the Huskies to the Final Four last year. I love watching other guards, like seeing Kelsey play in the Big Ten. They run a similar offense to what we do. I will watch her, rewind it, watch her again. Shes one of my favorites.Mitchell said she has also learned from observing Plum, especially in changing speeds to thwart defenses. As for being in the mix as one of the countrys best players, the soft-spoken Mitchell said, You never want to think too much about those things. But I will say Im grateful to be in the conversation.The same goes for players such as Baylor forward Nina Davis, Louisville forward Myisha Hines-Allen and Maryland guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.Louisville coach Jeff Walz said Hines-Allen has worked on expanding her range, but he also hopes she has an even more impressive body of work this season.The big thing for her is the consistency part, Walz said. She had a remarkable ACC season -- 16 games -- but she didnt start out very well. She has it in her. Im excited to get things started.Tennessee guard Diamond DeShields is ready, too, and finally feeling closer to 100 percent and injury-free.Ive always strived to be one of the best, DeShields said. I hope to be a contender in that regard.But hold on -- what about the returning UConn players? Sure, the big three are gone, but there are guards Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams, guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson and forward Napheesa Collier. All of them now move into more prominent roles.Theyre all very good, but have any of them proved greatness yet? No, but now is their chance. That said, Auriemma doesnt necessarily want any of his returners to think they have to try to turn into the second coming of Stewart, to whatever degree thats even possible.If [Katie] Lou, for example, tries to be all the things she thinks we need, is that fair? Auriemma said. There is some of that, that they want to fill that void, and they know it has to be filled. But I want them to fill it in their own way.Maybe that results in major accolades, and maybe it doesnt. But there will be players who now have more of an opportunity to be noticed, and well get to see them try to rise to the occasion all over the country.I think theres a kind of optimism this year, UCLA coach Cori Close said. Individually, it seems more wide-open for those honors. And that should impact the NCAA tournament. I think theres going to a lot of drama there, which is good for the game. Wholesale Custom Rangers Shirts Custom Ivan Rodriguez Jersey .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. http://www.custommlbrangersjersey.com/ . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. Custom Rangers T-shirts . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. Authentic Custom Rangers Jersey . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. The AFLs rushed behind rule could be tightened at the end of the season.Football manager Mark Evans has asked the leagues umpiring department to clarify the contentious law with clubs.A handful of coaches has been baffled by the issue, especially with North Melbourne veteran Michael Firrito costing his side a goal last weekend.Firrito was pinged for a deliberate rushed behind despite being under pressure.Evans reiterated it was the right call because of the distance between Firrito and the goalposts.The league is attempting to convey that message this week, with the help of umpiring department members Hayden Kennedy and Luke Ball.ddddddddddddhe rule is likely to be reviewed in the off-season, with speculation there could be an even-stricter interpretation in 2017.Well try and provide some clarity around that (rule) for the remainder of the year. It is something that I would like to look at at the end of the year as well, Evans said on Wednesday.I am (sympathetic to players and fans who are confused). Its something I have asked Luke and Hayden to address with clubs today and tomorrow. ' ' '
