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The Top 10 Women’s Ballers of the NCAA

March Madness is upon us. The women’s basketball tournament starts March 24 and the Final Four will be in New Orleans this year with the championship game being played on April 9. To honor the 75th anniversary of the men’s NCAA tournament, Sports Illustrated compiled a list of the top 10 men of the NCAA’s. Nowhere was there even a whisper about women playing basketball. So we’re here to rectify that oversight with our own list of amazing lady ballers.

Donovan, a 6’8″ Center, averaged 20 points and 14.5 rebounds over her four years at ODU. She helped the team to an AIAW National Championship her freshman year, and to the NCAA Final Four as a senior. She set records at Old Dominion for points (2,719 points), rebounding (1,976) and shots blocked (801) while changing the game with her mix of size and mobility.

Staley led Virginia to three consecutive Final Fours including the championship game in 1991. She was a two time Player of the Year award winner, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1991. She once held the NCAA record for steals (454) and finished her career as the only player in ACC history with more than 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 700 assists, and 400 steals.

The reason Griner is this low on the list is because she’s the only player still in school. If she and the Baylor Bears recreate their magical run to the championship from a season ago, she’d have to jump several spots on this list. Griner, like Donovan, is a 6’8″ Center who has changed the game. Griner with her ability to play stifling defense, block shots, and score. Oh and have you seen her dunk? She’s an incredible player who helped lead the Bears to the first ever 40-0 season last year.

Lobo, a 6’4″ Center helped bring UConn to the top of women’s basketball when, in her senior season, she led the team to two wins over Tennessee (both on national television), including a win in the title game. She also led the team to just the second undefeated season in NCAA history. In her senior season she was the Naismith Player of the Year and the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Swoopes, a 6′ Forward only played two years in the NCAA after being a junior college transfer into Texas Tech. Her senior season she scored 955 points. Most players would kill to score 1,000 points in their career. She scored an NCAA record 47 points in the championship game, leading Texas Tech to the title. She averaged nearly 25 points per game and was the consensus player of the year. Oh and did I mention Nike later named a shoe after her? Yeah.

Parker had to redshirt her freshman season at Tennessee due to an ACL tear but once she came back she was impossible to stop. She became the fastest player in Tennessee history to 1,000 points in just 56 games. She led the Lady Vols to back to back NCAA Championships in 2007 and 2008 and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player both years in spite of playing with a dislocated shoulder in 2008. She was also the first player to dunk the NCAA tournament.

Geno Auriemma famously said that the reason his team was going to win was “We got Diana, and they don’t.” Winning was the thing Taurasi did in her time in Storrs. She won three consecutive NCAA titles, two player of the year awards, two Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards. Taurasi’s personality on the court made her a player the fans either loved or loved to hate. Either way she was at her best in the tournament and has the titles to prove it.

Miller is arguably the greatest player in the history of women’s basketball. She led USC to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984, was three times the Player of the Year, scored over 3,000 points in her career, and was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player twice. Her most noticeable achievement was being named the best player in men’s or women’s basketball by Sports Illustrated. Her skills on the court and outstanding athletic ability brought unprecedented, and much needed, attention to the women’s game.

Moore, a 6′ Forward was just the second player to be named All-America four times. She led UConn to two NCAA titles and was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player in 2010. During her time at UConn her team set the record for longest winning streak in NCAA history at 90 games. She scored 3,036 points and collected 1, 276 rebounds in her career at UConn.

Holdsclaw struck fear in the hearts of anyone silly enough to root for a team other than Tennessee. She ended her career with Tennessee with 3,025 points, three NCAA titles, two NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards, two Player of the Year awards, and, oh yeah, she was named the Naismith Player of the Century. Who else was I going to put at the top of the list

I know making this list was incredibly hard. I limited it by only taking into account each player’s college career. The list would look entirely different if it included professional or Olympic team statistics and championships.

I had to leave off some amazing players and I must have switched the order a dozen times. So, let’s go, tell me who I missed or why my list is in the wrong order.

(Huge hat tip to the linster who helped me make the list, ensured I didn’t make too many mistakes, and generally helped educate this hockey player in basketball. But remember, all of the mistakes are mine.)

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