With the 2024 NCAA tournament underway, all eyes are on Iowa's Caitlin Clark. After breaking the NCAA scoring record, Clark is determined to lead the Hawkeyes to their first-ever national championship.
Given Clark's scoring prowess, could she break some March Madness scoring records as well? We recently revisited the highest-scoring individual performances in the men's tournament, and now we'll take a look at the top five in the history of the women's NCAA tournament.
Lorri Bauman, 50 points, 1982 NCAA tournament
During the 1982 NCAA tournament, Drake's Lori Bauman recorded 50 points in a losing effort against Maryland in the West Regional Final. She shot 21-of-35 (60%) from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line, scoring 64% of Drake's points. Bauman finished her collegiate career with 3,115 points, which is the eighth-most in Division I women's history.
Sheryl Swoopes, 47 points, 1993 NCAA tournament
Swoopes had one of the best NCAA tournament runs of all time in 1993, and she saved her best for the national championship. After scoring at least 30 points in each round of the tournament, Swoopes dropped 47 points in an 84-82 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes, giving Texas Tech its first national title. This is regarded as one of the best performances in NCAA tournament history. Swoopes would go on to become a four-time WNBA champion, three-time WNBA MVP, three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA scoring champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Jayne Appel, 46 points, 2009 NCAA tournament
Entering this game, the Iowa State Cyclones decided they would force Stanford's Appel to beat them, guarding her one-on-one and focusing their defensive game plan on shutting down Stanford's shooters. The 6-foot-4 Appel made them pay, finishing with 46 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 19-of-28 (67.9%) from the field. Stanford won 74-53, advancing to the Final Four.
Kelsey Mitchell, 45 points, 2016 NCAA tournament
Mitchell's 45 points led the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes to a second-round win over the No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers. She shot 11-of-31 (34.5%) from the field, 5-of-12 (41.7%) from 3-point range and 18-of-22 (81.8%) from the free throw line. Meanwhile, West Virginia shot just 13 free throws as a team. Mitchell also chipped in 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists in the win.
Candice Wiggins, 44 points, 2008 NCAA tournament
During the second round of the 2008 NCAA tournament, UTEP had no answer for Wiggins and Stanford. She erupted for 44 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 3-pointers, 3 steals and a block, while shooting 15-of-27 (55.6%) from the field. Stanford blew out UTEP, 88-54. Wiggins led Stanford to the national championship game, where the Cardinal lost to Tennessee.
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