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. Buy Swell Water Bottle Australia . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Swell Traveler Bottle Australia . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. http://www.swellbottleaustralia.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Cheap Swell Bottles Australia . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Swell Bottle Sale Australia .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. CINCINNATI -- Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter at Great American Ball Park in April with thousands of Cubs fans cheering him on. The Reds didnt want to let Jon Lester reach another pitching milestone in the same place.The Reds scored five times in only five innings off the left-hander, denying him a 20-win season, as Cincinnati pulled away to a 7-4 victory on Saturday.Tim Adleman (4-4) gave up three runs in five innings as part of a rare Reds victory over Chicago. The Cubs are 14-4 against Cincinnati this season. Ben Zobrist hit his third homer in two games.The overwhelming majority of the 30,970 fans were wearing Cubs blue and cheering for Lester (19-5) to get that milestone victory.You know everybody in that clubhouse wanted to get him his 20th win, Adleman said. This didnt feel at all like home. The place was flooded with Cubs fans. It was sweet to get the win today.Asked before the game if hell open the playoffs with the same lineup -- including Lester on the mound -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, Theres a shot. The Cubs will host the NL wild-card playoff winner on Friday at Wrigley Field.The Reds got to Lester with Eugenio Suarezs two-run homer and a pair of RBI by Joey Votto. The left-hander hadnt allowed five runs in a start since July 9.He wasnt as sharp as hes been in the past against us, manager Bryan Price said. It was a little bit more of a battle by us. We gave him some good at bats. We didnt make it easy on him.Nobodys been better lately than Lester. Since the All-Star break, hed won a career-high 10 straight decisions. In September, he allowed a total of two runs while winning all five starts. Lester had allowed one run or none in a club-record eight straight starts heading into Saturday.The Reds strung together several well-placed hits while sending him tto his first loss since July 3.dddddddddddd. Lester was hoping to become the first Cubs left-hander to win 20 games since Dick Ellsworth in 1963.Arrieta won 22 games last season to help the Cubs reach the playoffs.STATSThe Cubs have hit 40 homers against the Reds this season, the most ever by an opposing team against Cincinnati. ... Dexter Fowler singled for his 1,000th career hit. ... Suarez snapped an 0-for-12 slump with his first homer since Aug. 30. ... Votto had three hits and drove in three runs overall. Hes batting .412 since the All-Star break. Hes trying to become the first player in the majors to hit .400 after the All-Star break since Ichiro Suzuki hit .429 in 2004. ... Aroldis Chapman fanned Votto on three pitches in the eighth clocked at 101, 102 and 101 mph.TRAINERS ROOMCubs: OF Jorge Soler took batting practice on Saturday and appeared to have no problems with his sore right side that has sidelined him for a week. Maddon said he would likely play on Sunday if there was no lingering soreness.Reds: 2B Brandon Phillips had an MRI on his sore left hand that found a deep bruise. He missed a fourth straight game.UP NEXTCubs: Kyle Hendricks (16-8) is expected to go no more than five innings as the Cubs keep him fresh for the postseason. Hendricks has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last 22 starts since May 22, the longest such streak in the majors this season. His 1.99 ERA is the lowest in the majors.Reds: Robert Stephenson (2-3) makes his sixth start since he was promoted in September. He gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 9-2 loss at Wrigley Field on Sept. 21.---Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay ' ' '