Similar to the list on the men’s side last week, you aren’t going to find the usual suspects dotting this page. No Kacie Borowicz, no Grace Larkins, no Hannah Cooper (though she’s mentioned). 
 
This post belongs to the players who did not see their name on the list of preseason award honorees but are nonetheless off to fast starts in 2023-24 as the calendar careens toward December. Here are four Summit women’s players that you should have your eye on based on their early season work. 
 
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State
That Meyer has dominated thus far this season is hardly a surprise. The Iowan earned Aaron Johnston’s trust last season as a freshman, and was a prime candidate to step into the world of opportunity that this year’s Jackrabbits’ roster presents. And, she has stepped into it emphatically. 
 
Meyer is averaging a double-double (18.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg), and that production hasn’t come cheaply. She posed problems in SDSU’s close loss to Wisconsin (19 points, 11 rebounds) and got the Jackrabbits off to a good start with six points and two rebounds in their competitive first quarter against the South Carolina behemoth. She would end up with a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) in that game as well. Despite being omitted from the preseason lists, she has nonetheless become an early contender to keep the Player of the Year award in Brookings. 
 
Taleyah Jones, Oral Roberts
Hannah Cooper raved about the shooters she would be playing alongside this season during Summit League Media Day. Against Tulsa, you could certainly see why. Cooper and Ruthie Udoumoh were pivotal in ORU taking home the Mayor’s Cup for the first time since the 2017-18 season earlier this month. 
 
But so was Taleyah Jones, who drilled her first four three-point attempts to help get the Golden Eagles off to a solid start against their rival. The UT Arlington transfer would finish with 20 points, and on the whole has taken some of the offensive pressure off of Cooper in the backcourt. The sophomore leads the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) and was a bright spot in the Golden Eagles loss to Texas, scoring 23 points and going three-for-five from distance against the No. 10 Longhorns. 
 
Her ability to space the court alongside Cooper, as she did against Texas and Tulsa, could make ORU a dizzying team to defend the rest of the season.
 
Amber Scalia, St. Thomas
The Tommies have burst out of the gates offensively, in no small part because of their backcourt duo of Jade Hill and Amber Scalia. Hill’s hot start is hardly a surprise, as she is now in her third year being a key part of Ruth Sinn’s rotation. Scalia, on the other hand, has taken a big jump in her sophomore year. 
 
The Stillwater, Minn. native has been among the top scorers in the conference (16.9 ppg), and has shot the ball at a much better rate than she did as a freshman despite a greatly increased role in the UST offense. She set a Division I program record by going a pristine 16-for-16 from the free throw line in the Tommies’ win over Utah Valley, but it was also her explosive start that set the team on its way. She had 10 points, an assist and a steal in the first quarter against the Wolverines to power a 15-2 run out of the gates. 
 
Jojo Jones, Denver
Emma Smith and Makayla Minett have started strongly for a Pioneers team that has been in every game this season except one. That accomplished duo has also been bolstered by a torrid stretch from Jojo Jones, who has shown the ability to score in bunches, especially over the past two games. 
 
Jones showed promise as a freshman last year, though had a good chunk of her debut campaign derailed due to an injury during conference play. She’s picked that up with a fury this year, nearly doubling her scoring, rebounding and assists per game averages (14.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.0 apg). She went off for 29 points against Central Arkansas, and had the type of performance from distance (4-9 3FG) that, if she can continue to build on, would fit perfectly in Doshia Woods’ offense alongside the similarly-explosive Smith.

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