March Insanity is without equal level for varsity basketball stars to cement their legacies. Probably the most recreation’s biggest avid gamers have shined within the NCAA match — however no longer all have walked away as champions.
In contrast to the lads’s aspect, the place avid gamers can input the NBA draft at 19 or after only one collegiate season, girls’s avid gamers should both graduate or flip 22 prior to heading to the WNBA — a rule that provides girls’s superstars extra alternatives to chase a countrywide identify.
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Input, UConn Huskies megastar Paige Bueckers.
After a sensational freshman season in 2020-21, accidents sidelined her for far of the following two seasons. In spite of the setbacks, she reached 2,000 profession issues within the fewest video games in program historical past (102 video games), surpassing UConn legend Maya Moore. Now, in her ultimate season, Bueckers has another probability so as to add a championship to her résumé.
From Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart to Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark, some stars have led their groups to glory, whilst others have fallen quick. Here is a have a look at how some girls’s school basketball legends since 2000 have fared of their identify interests.
Nationwide championship: No
Easiest end: Runner-up (2023, 2024)
As a freshman, Clark led Department I in scoring and reached the Candy 16. Her sophomore yr led to a second-round loss to the Creighton Bluejays. She took Iowa to the identify recreation as a junior, falling to LSU, then returned as a senior and misplaced to undefeated South Carolina within the championship. The NCAA’s all-time main scorer and two-time nationwide participant of the yr, Clark used to be the No. 1 pick out within the 2024 WNBA draft. Iowa retired her No. 22 jersey in a while after her historical collegiate profession.
Nationwide championship: Sure (2023)
Angel Reese helped lead the LSU Tigers previous Iowa within the 2023 NCAA girls’s nationwide championship. Maddie Meyer/Getty Pictures
Reese began her school profession with the Maryland Terrapins, the place either one of her NCAA match runs ended within the Candy 16. She transferred to LSU forward of her junior yr — and took the Tigers directly to the highest. She led the workforce to a countrywide identify within the 2022-23 season, incomes Maximum Remarkable Participant within the 102-85 win over Iowa. In her ultimate season, she helped LSU achieve the Elite 8, posting 17 issues and 20 rebounds in a 2023 nationwide championship recreation rematch loss to Iowa. Reese entered the 2024 WNBA draft as probably the most recognizable names within the recreation and used to be decided on 7th total via the Chicago Sky.
Nationwide championship: Sure (2022)
Boston’s freshman yr ended with out an NCAA match, which used to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a sophomore, South Carolina reached the Ultimate 4 however led to heartbreaking style after Boston overlooked a possible game-winner in a 66-65 loss to the Stanford Cardinal. She bounced again her junior yr, main the Gamecocks to a countrywide identify over UConn and incomes Maximum Remarkable Participant. In her senior yr, the Gamecocks’ match run ended within the Ultimate 4 once more, this time with a loss to Clark and Iowa as their historical 42-game win streak used to be snapped. Boston used to be decided on No. 1 total within the 2023 WNBA draft via the Fever.
Nationwide championship: No
Easiest end: Ultimate 4 (2019)
As a freshman, Ionescu aided Oregon to its first NCAA match look since 2005, when the workforce complicated to the Elite 8, however its run ended with a loss to UConn. Within the following yr, the Geese’ run ended once more within the Elite 8 — this time with a loss to Notre Dame. Ionescu led the Geese’ rally in her junior yr as Oregon earned its first Ultimate 4 look, falling in need of the identify recreation in a 72-67 loss to Baylor. Even if she used to be eligible for the 2019 WNBA draft via age, Ionescu returned for her ultimate season, however the 2020 match used to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCAA’s all-time triple-double chief and three-time Pac-12 Participant of the 12 months, Ionescu used to be the No. 1 pick out within the 2020 WNBA draft via the New York Liberty.
Nationwide championship: Sure (2018)
Easiest end: Champion (2018)
Arike Ogunbowale hit a recreation winner to safe a countrywide identify for Notre Dame. Andy Lyons/Getty Pictures
Ogunbowale’s school profession is outlined via her snatch moments. As a freshman, she reached the Candy 16. Her sophomore season ended within the Elite 8, however she made historical past as a junior — hitting back-to-back recreation winners within the Ultimate 4 and identify recreation, main Notre Dame to the 2018 nationwide championship. As a senior, she returned to the identify recreation however fell to Baylor. Ogunbowale completed her collegiate profession with over 2,600 issues and used to be drafted 5th total in 2019 via the Dallas Wings.
Nationwide Championship: No
Easiest end: Ultimate 4 (2016)
Plum overlooked the NCAA match as a freshman however led Washington to back-to-back second-round appearances in her sophomore and junior years. She made historical past in her senior season via changing into Department I’s all-time main scorer (3,527 issues) and powered the Huskies to their first Ultimate 4. She received the 2017 Naismith Participant of the 12 months and used to be decided on No. 1 total via the San Antonio Stars, who later was the Las Vegas Aces.
Nationwide championship: Sure (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Breanna Stewart lower down the online after the 2014 nationwide identify recreation. Benjamin Solomon/Getty Pictures
Stewart led UConn to 4 directly nationwide titles — and received Maximum Remarkable Participant every time. Each season of her collegiate profession led to championships, and she or he accrued two Naismith Participant of the 12 months awards. Stewart completed with over 2,600 issues and 1,100 rebounds prior to the Seattle Hurricane decided on her because the No. 1 pick out within the 2016 WNBA draft. Since UConn “honors” jerseys somewhat than formally retiring them, Stewart’s No. 30 is amongst the ones identified via this system.
Nationwide championship: Sure (2012)
As a freshman, Griner led the Bears to the Candy 16, adopted via an Elite 8 look as a sophomore. She made historical past her junior yr via powering Baylor to a 40-0 document and the 2012 nationwide championship over Notre Dame. She returned for her ultimate yr and capped her profession with every other Candy 16 look as a senior. The NCAA’s all-time blocks chief (748) and two-time Naismith winner, Griner completed with 3,283 issues and used to be decided on via the Phoenix Mercury No. 1 total within the 2013 WNBA draft.
Maya Moore, UConn
Nationwide championship: Sure (2009, 2010)
Moore helped UConn to the Ultimate 4 as a freshman, then led the Huskies to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Her senior season ended within the Ultimate 4, capping a school profession that incorporated two Picket Awards, over 3,000 issues and a 150-4 document. The Minnesota Lynx decided on the four-time All-American because the No. 1 pick out within the 2011 WNBA draft.
Nationwide championship: Sure (2007, 2008)
Candace Parker scored 17 issues within the 2007 nationwide identify recreation towards Rutgers. Gregory Shamus/Getty Pictures
Parker redshirted her first yr as a result of a knee harm. In her debut yr, she was the primary lady to dunk in an NCAA match recreation — doing so two times. That yr, Tennessee reached the Elite 8 within the NCAA match, marking the primary time in 5 years the workforce didn’t achieve the Ultimate 4. As a sophomore and junior, Parker led Tennessee to back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, and she or he used to be named Maximum Remarkable Participant in each championships. A two-time Picket Award winner, she completed with over 2,100 issues and 900 rebounds in spite of forgoing her ultimate yr of eligibility. The day after she received her closing collegiate championship, Parker used to be drafted No. 1 total in 2008 via the Los Angeles Sparks.
Seimone Augustus, LSU
Nationwide Championship: No
Easiest end: Ultimate 4 (2004, 2005, 2006)
Augustus led LSU to 3 directly Ultimate Fours right through her sophomore to senior years, regardless that did not win a countrywide identify. She used to be a two-time Naismith Participant of the 12 months and completed with over 2,700 profession issues. Augustus used to be drafted No. 1 total in 2006 via the Minnesota Lynx. In 2010, her No. 33 was the primary lady’s jersey retired at school historical past. In 2023, she used to be commemorated with the primary statue of a lady athlete on LSU’s campus along basketball legends Bob Pettit, Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal.
Diana Taurasi, UConn
Nationwide championship: Sure (2002, 2003, 2004)
Diana Taurasi helped lead UConn to 3 consecutive titles. Invoice Frakes/Sports activities Illustrated by way of Getty Pictures
Taurasi reached the Ultimate 4 as a freshman, however suffered a difficult loss to Notre Dame that fueled her to make a daring promise: “We will be able to no longer lose every other match recreation whilst I am dressed in this uniform.” She sponsored it up via main the Huskies to 3 directly nationwide titles and incomes back-to-back Naismith Participant of the 12 months awards. Taurasi used to be drafted No. 1 total via Phoenix in 2004 and her No. 3 is commemorated at UConn.
Sue Fowl, UConn
Nationwide championship: Sure (2000, 2002)
Fowl helped UConn achieve the Candy 16 as a freshman, then received titles as a sophomore and senior with a Ultimate 4 look in between. The ground normal earned the Nancy Lieberman Award 3 times and used to be drafted No. 1 in 2002 via Seattle. Fowl tallied a 114-4 document with the Huskies and her No. 10 is one in all a number of commemorated numbers in this system.
