Who are the best-ever women's college basketball players?

Who are the best-ever women's college basketball players? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

There’s no better way to wrap up the month of March than a Final Four matchup between South Carolina and Iowa, and that’s exactly what fans will get Friday night.

Junior guard Caitlin Clark has absolutely electrified college basketball with her effortless scoring and swagger, while Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks are seemingly unstoppable as a unit and looking to defend their national championship. But this game may come down to star power and there’s certainly no shortage taking the court at American Airlines Arena.

Clark’s resume speaks for itself.

As a sophomore, she became the first person in Division I history to lead the NCAA in points (27.0) and assists (8.0). This past year she became the first player to record 900 points and 300 assists in a single season. And most recently, she completed the first tournament 40-point triple-double in Iowa’s Elite Eight win over Louisville. Prior to that matchup, no men's or women's triple-double had ever eclipsed 30 points in March Madness history.

While Clark dominated the narrative throughout March Madness -- earning both AP Player of the Year and Naismith Player of the Year honors -- stars line the tournament top to bottom including LSU’s Angel Reese, South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston and Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley, all of whom have a shot at championship glory themselves in the Final Four this weekend.

But first, let’s take a look back at some of the greatest women’s college basketball players to see where the current crop of stars stand.

Kelsey Plum, Washington

Plum owns the NCAA record for most career points (3,527) during her four years with the Huskies. She also led the school to its only Final Four in program history as a junior, averaging 25.9 points and 4.2 assists per game in the process.

It took her a few years to settle into the WNBA, but Plum is coming off the heels of a breakout 2022 campaign with the Las Vegas Aces that saw her named to her first All-Star Game and win a WNBA championship.

Maya Moore, UConn

When Sports Illustrated declares you the greatest winner in the history of women’s basketball, you earn an undisputed place on this list.

Arriving in Storrs, Ct. from Georgia, Moore made an immediate impact for the Huskies. She became the second freshman to be named to the AP All-American First Team and the second sophomore to be named AP Player of the Year. She won two national championships under Geno Auriemma and finished her four years with a 150-4 record.

The most interesting part of Moore’s career, however, probably lies in what followed that Sports Illustrated declaration -- “best may be yet to come.”

Moore won four WNBA championships in eight years, was named the league MVP in 2014 and won essentially every honor the league has to offer. Less than two years removed from her fourth championship, Moore walked away from basketball to advocate for the overturning of a 50-year conviction against Jonathan Irons. Moore and Irons met through prison ministry shortly before starting her freshman year at UConn. Irons was released in 2020 and he and Moore married shortly after, welcoming a child in 2022.

Despite not playing since 2019, Moore officially retired this past January at the age of 33.

Brittney Griner, Baylor

Griner made her name as a defensive wall, blocking everything that came in the paint for Kim Mulkey’s Baylor Bears, and has a national championship to show for it.

She averaged 5.1 blocks throughout her career -- including a staggering 6.4 as a freshman -- and holds the record for single-season (223) and career (748) blocks. She continued that dominance into the WNBA where she led the league in blocks for seven seasons and is currently fourth in the all-time standings.

Cheryl Miller, USC

Way back in the day, USC was a powerhouse charged by 6-foot-2 forward Cheryl Miller.

Raised near Los Angeles, Miller dominated California high school basketball, setting countless records including a memorable 105-point performance her senior year.

Behind Miller’s leadership, the Trojans captured back-to-back national championships (the second and third ever, respectively) and advanced to the program’s only three Final Fours. She won the Naismith Award three times, a feat only repeated by Breanna Stewart, and earned All-American honors each of her four years with USC.

While Miller was putting together an illustrious career at USC, her younger brother, Reggie was doing the same at UCLA. He remains second all-time in points scored for the Bruins behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and went on to become a five-time NBA All-Star.