Compiling a list of the greatest women's college basketball players since 1976 is no tall order, but the Associated Press' missive published last week is a pretty fantastic attempt. While many names on the list, including WNBA heavyweights Diana Taurasi and Sheryl Swoopes, aren't too surprising, some might be a little stunned to see Caitlin Clark in their company.
Well, that is, if you haven't been paying attention at all.
As the AP noted, there are a few players who are easy choices. Cheryl Miller and Taurasi, who played for USC and UConn respectively, were at the top. Votes were recorded by a panel of 13 former players and AP sportswriters, including Rebecca Lobo — who played in the league from 1997 to 2003. Lobo described the task as "nearly impossible" and added, "As I’m looking down the list, I’m like no-brainer, no-brainer, no-brainer. But then I’m like wait, there’s too many no-brainers and not enough slots."
But, of course, where there's a will, there's a way. Ultimately, the list also includes Swoopes, Breanna Stewart, and Candace Parker — as well as Sue Bird and Dawn Staley. Maya Moore and Luisa Harris were named to the second team frontcourt. Each athlete broke records, won championships, or some combination of both (in addition to racking up their own individual accolades throughout their collegiate careers).
As the AP also reported, Taurasi was part of the team that snagged three national championships during her time at UConn. Stewart helped the Huskies pull in four back-to-back championships during her time at the school, and Parker led the Lady Vols to back-to-back championship titles in 2007 and 2008.
Caitlin Clark was a leader for the Iowa Hawkeyes
Of course, as many Hawkeyes fans will recall, Clark helped propel Iowa to back-to-back championship game appearances and broke several Division 1 records, including becoming the all-time leading scorer for men and women. Clark has also been credited with bringing an enormous amount of attention to both collegiate basketball and the WNBA.
An April 2024 semifinal game between the Hawkeyes and UConn racked up a massive 14.2 million viewers and resulted in the highest-ever audience for any basketball game — NBA, WNBA, or college — that ESPN had aired at the time. The WNBA in turn capitalized on Clark's enormous popularity when the Indiana Fever drafted her as the No. 1 overall pick, something Commissioner Engelbert was open about while speaking to KNBC that month.
“We are focused on creating elevated events that WNBA fans won’t want to miss, at a time when the energy for the WNBA has never been higher,” Engelbert said at the time. “Last season resulted in our most-watched-regular season in over two decades, our highest total attendance in 13 years and set record figures across WNBA digital and social platforms.”