Michelle Smith looks at some 'under-the-radar' players in Pac-12 women's basketball

You know the All-America candidates. You know the historic freshman class. You know the leading scorers and the standouts in between.

And then there is a group of players this season who are riding “under the radar,” having impactful seasons for their respective teams. They are the “glue” players, the ones who come up with the key plays that win games or move teams forward.

Let’s take a look (in alphabetical order).

Frida Formann, Colorado

Formann, the junior guard from Denmark, is coming off her season-best performance in the Buffaloes’ win over then-No. 14 Arizona last Friday night. Formann finished with 23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. Formann is CU’s second-leading scorer at 12.3 points per game with a team-leading 37 3-pointers, and perhaps most impressively, she has missed just once at the free throw line this season, making 28 of her 29 attempts from the stripe (.929). She ranks in the top 10 in the Conference in both 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage.

Kiki Iriafen, Stanford

The sophomore post has played her way into the Cardinal’s starting lineup this season and has been the picture of efficiency. Iriafen ranks third in the Pac-12 in field-goal percentage at 58.1 percent, fourth in offensive rebounds (51) and second in points per 40 minutes at 23.9. Her scoring has slowed, Iriafen putting up double-digits just once in the last nine games but her value to Stanford’s post depth and her hustle have been apparent since the first game of the season.

Destiny Littleton, USC

The South Carolina graduate transfer has brought her national championship experience to a Trojans’ team that started the season with eight newcomers and had its biggest moment of the season when they knocked off then-No. 2 Stanford on Sunday for the first time since 2014. Littleton leads the team in minutes played and assists. She is averaging 12.4 points a game, ranking third on the team and is coming off a pair of back-to-back 18-point games last weekend against California and the Cardinal, earning her Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. Littleton, who played all 40 minutes against Stanford, ranks third in the conference in assists per game (4.4) and second in free throw percentage at 88.6. 

Kemery Martín, California

The redshirt sophomore Utah transfer has been a strong complement to the scoring of sophomore Jayda Curry as the Bears look to build a foundation for the program after two difficult years. Martín is averaging 11.2 points a game, with a team-leading 37 3-pointers. Sunday against then-No. 8 UCLA, Martín had her best game in a Cal uniform, finishing with 23 points, including making her first eight shots in a row and going 5-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line. She has been shooting 48 percent from behind the arc over the last 10 games.

Lauren Schwartz, Washington

The junior forward from Kentucky has scored in double figures in five of her last six games, including a 17-point performance in the win at Oregon State on Sunday. Schwartz leads the team in minutes played, assists and 3-pointers. She surpassed 1,000 career points on a 3-pointer against the Beavers in the first quarter.  

Lina Sontag, UCLA

Sontag, the 6-foot-3 freshman forward from Germany, played a season-high 43 minutes combined against then-No. 2 Stanford and California over the weekend, signaling a more prominent role on the floor for the Bruins. Sontag has been limited with nagging injury issues, but is a strong rebounder, passer and defensive player. Bruins’ coach Cori Close said after the Stanford loss on Friday that she expects Sontag, who brings international experience to the floor, is going to turn into a key component for the Bruins as the season heads into the home stretch.

Tara Wallack, Washington State

Wallack put up 17 points and five rebounds on Friday in the Cougars’ key win against Oregon State to lead the team in scoring for the second time this season. Wallack won a 3x3 gold medal with Team Canada at the Commonwealth Games last summer, building momentum toward her sophomore season with the Cougars, where she knew she would be asked to pick up some of the offensive slack following the departure of Krystal Leger-Walker.