10 best women’s college basketball players ever: From Sheryl Swoops to Caitlin Clark

Before she became a legend during the early years of the WNBA, Sheryl Swoopes was a superb player in college. During her two-year stint at South Plains, she brought the program to its greatest heights, leading them to their only national championship and scoring 47 points in the victory.

When she transferred to Texas Tech for her final two seasons as an amateur she continued her elite play. And while she was a fantastic scorer, what made Swoopes different from most was she could also be equally as impactful on the defensive side of the ball.

Before she became a star in the WNBA with the Las Vegas Aces, Kelsey Plum was a dominant scoring machine for the Washington Huskies. During her four-year run at the school, she put the program on the basketball map and would go on to see a new record for women’s scoring. However, while a great scorer (26 points per game for her career), she also averaged 13 boards a game during her college career.

While Lynette Woodard didn’t bring Kansas a championship during her stint from 1977 to 1981, the sport would be very different without her. Her dominance in college set a standard for the level the women’s game could reach, and the following generations took it further. Woodard is a true pioneer of women’s college basketball and is similar to what legends like Bill Russell were for the NBA.

Related: Women’s College Basketball Top 10 Power Rankings Week 17 – New No. 1 After Notre Dame Tumbles

The Tennessee Lady Vols are one of the most respected programs in college basketball history. A major reason for that is the exploits of program icon Chamique Holdsclaw. During her outstanding run with the team, she nearly averaged a double-double (20 points and nine rebounds) as she led the Lady Vols to not one, not two, but three straight national titles.

The program would not hold the esteem that it does today if not for the amazing career of Holdsclaw.

Caitlin Clark became one of the most influential figures in women’s basketball during her run at Iowa. The multi-level threat turned the Hawkeyes into a basketball power house and took them to consecutive National Championship games in 2023 and 2024. While she could never bring home a natty, the scoring dynamo forever etched herself in college sports history by becoming the all-time scorer for Division-I basketball for women and men.

Sabrina Ionescu is similar to Clark in being a multi-level threat on offense who helped bring a lesser-known school to national prominence. In this instance, it was the Oregon Ducks women’s program. She was a multi-time Player of the Year award winner and to many long-time fans of the sport, is one of the greatest competitors to never win a championship during her career.

Related: Men’s College Basketball Top 10 Power Rankings Week 17 – Michigan State and Missouri Crack List

That’s right, a second Lady Vol lands in our top five. However, it can’t be helped because the program led by head coach Pat Summit developed several legends of women’s basketball, and Candace Parker is the best of that bunch. The two-time national champion was one of the greatest female players in college history during a magnificent career that saw her earn two Associated Press Player of the Year honors.

When women’s basketball really came into its own in the early 2000s, UConn’s Diana Taurasi was the face of the sport as she helped mold the program into the nationally renowned brand that it is today. During her time at the school, she was one of the most dominant forces the sport had seen up until that point as she helped the Huskies win three nattys.

To this day, Taurasi is still one of the most famous players to have played in women’s college basketball.

UConn great Breanna Stewart is the second from the program that lands in our top 10. Stewart chose to go to UConn and maintain the unbelievable standard set by previous stars and long-time head coach Geno Auriemma. She took the challenge and shockingly elevated it as she led the program to an unbelievable four national championships.

She won Outstanding Player honors for every NCAA tournament she was in, was a three-time All-American, and also earned a trio of Player of the Year awards during a fantastic career.

While many basketball fans know NBA Hall-of-Famer Reggie Miller, they don’t realize his sister Cheryl is the best women’s college basketball player ever. During her time at USC from 1982-86, there was no more dominant player in basketball for either gender. Her style of play elevated the entirety of women’s basketball to new heights as she had a game that would have been a handful for even top male players at the time.

She is the greatest basketball player in USC history and is an icon for the women’s game. In many ways, the two-time champion is like the Willie Mayes of her sport.