After an exciting batch of Elite Eight games -- save for Baylor's destruction of Iowa -- the 2019 Women's Final Four field is set.

There are a number of familiar names, with UConn making its 12th straight trip, and last year's national champions, Notre Dame, returning to the final weekend for the seventh time this decade. Another women's basketball stalwart, Baylor, is back in the Final Four for the first time since it won it all in 2012. The only newcomer is Oregon, who after three straight trips to the Elite Eight, have made the Final Four for the first time in program history.

Ahead of the festivities, which begin on Friday night at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, here is a closer look at one player to watch from each team. 

(2) Oregon vs. (1) Baylor

  • Date: Friday, April 5
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Location: Amalie Arena -- Tampa, Florida
  • TV: ESPN 

Sabrina Ionescu -- G, Oregon

Season stats: 20.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 8.1 apg

Where to start with Sabrina Ionescu? Her clutch shot-making and sense of the moment? The all-around game that has her projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next week's WNBA Draft should she decide to leave school early? Or perhaps the constant stream of triple-doubles that put her in the history books as the NCAA's all-time leader in that statistic?

From whatever angle you want to look at it, Ionescu is the player to watch in the Final Four this weekend. She can score at all three levels, she's a great passer and plays with a competitiveness matched by few others in the college game. While hardcore women's basketball fans have known about Ionescu's greatness for years, this could be her chance at a true star turn in the eyes of the general sports-watching population.

For a quick summary of all you need to know about Ionescu and her game, simply consider this: In the closing minutes of Oregon's Elite Eight win over Mississippi State, Ionescu drained a difficult step-back 3-pointer that essentially sealed the win, and the school's first trip to the Final Four. Her response afterward? "That was going in regardless."

Kalani Brown -- C, Baylor

Season stats: 15.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg

The last time Baylor made the Final Four, they were led to the title by Brittney Griner, one of the best bigs to ever play the game. Their star this time around isn't quite on Griner's level -- to be fair, that's a tall order, literally -- but she is a 6-foot-7 center who knows what it's like to deal with double, and even triple-teams.

Brown's numbers may not be gaudy, but make no mistake, she is one of the most dominant forces in college basketball, and easily the best true center left in the tournament. In an age where basketball at all levels is moving to a more perimeter-oriented approach, Brown is a throwback in the sense that she spends most of her time on the court in and around the paint.

It's there that she commands the attention of multiple defenders on the offensive end, and denies opponents on the defensive end. And though she obviously uses her size and strength to great benefit, she's a skilled offensive player with a nice touch around the basket. The key for opposing defenses is to deny her the ball, if possible, because once she catches it around the basket, there's little you can do. 

(2) UConn vs. (1) Notre Dame

  • Date: Friday, April 5
  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Location: Amalie Arena -- Tampa, Florida
  • TV: ESPN 

Napheesa Collier -- F, UConn

Season stats: 20.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg

For the first time since 2006, UConn was not a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That didn't turn out to be a problem, though, as it made its 12th straight Final Four. Leading the Huskies there, as she's done all season long, was senior forward Napheesa Collier, who recently fell just one vote shy of being a unanimous selection for the All-America team.

Collier has been a great player ever since arriving on UConn's campus, but with all of the talent passing through Storrs, Connecticut, she's often been overshadowed. That wasn't the case this season in the slightest, as she averaged a double-double and shot over 60 percent from the field, and along with making the All-America team, was named AAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

A versatile forward, Collier is an elite rebounder, and one of the most efficient offensive players in the country thanks to an array of post moves. Though there are some questions about how her game will translate to the WNBA level -- she's still expected to be a first-round pick -- especially if she doesn't improve her outside shot, Collier is as good as they come on the collegiate level. 

Jackie Young -- G, Notre Dame

Season stats: 15.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 5.1 apg

Heading into the season, most of focus on Notre Dame was centered around last season's Final Four hero, Arike Ogunbowale. Over the course of this campaign, however, Ogunbowale has been overshadowed by the rise of another Irish star at times, which culminated in Jackie Young earning ACC Tournament MVP honors, and scoring 25 points in their Elite Eight victory over Stanford.

The junior hasn't decided whether or not she'll enter the WNBA Draft next week, but if she does, she'll shake up draft boards in a major way. So much so that it wouldn't be a stretch if she went as high as No. 2 overall. As well as she's played this season, Young would have some of the highest upside of anyone in this class at the pro level because of her size and versatility on both sides of the ball.

While Young isn't much of a 3-point shooter -- she went 13 of 29 this season -- that's perhaps her only major weakness. At 6-1, she has tremendous size and athleticism for a perimeter player, can alternate between scoring and facilitating when needed and is a strong defender.