With the women’s basketball season coming to a close and South Carolina taking the national championship, there are a lot of inspirational women who influenced the season. Women’s basketball is more than a game, it is a celebration of womanhood. Fans see the way the players come out and bring toughness to the sport while remaining classy and appreciative. In the last two games of the season, this belief was reaffirmed. While all the players brought their best selves to March Madness, a few took the lead in making an impact on the sport. Here are four inspirational women to watch from this season.
Caitlin Clark
This should come as no surprise with the number of records Clark has broken. She not only brought her team to numerous victories, but she has impacted women’s basketball as a whole. As the NCAA women’s all-time leading scorer, she has led the sport to gain increased traction from the media. She is the first Division I player to top 3,000 points, 1,000 assists and 800 rebounds. In interviews, she has made it clear that it’s not about beating every record, it’s about contributing to the sport she loves. She has impacted the sport immensely and was drafted as the first overall in the WNBA draft, going to the Indiana Fever.
Coach Dawn Staley
After South Carolina won the National Championship, you can tell the impact Staley had on her team. She led them to the win with consistent encouragement while remaining poised and level-headed. She made sure she pushed her team to lock in and focus on how they play. There were several freshmen on South Carolina’s team that pushed them toward winning the championship and Staley recognized them. Her speech at the championship game was uplifting as you can see the pure emotion she was feeling. She showed true class when she gave a shout out to Iowa’s team at the game and personally thanked Caitlin Clark for what she has done for the sport of women’s basketball.
Kamilla Cardoso
Her nickname is ‘Car-do-so’ for a reason. As South Carolina’s 6-foot-7 center she remained dominant for the whole season. She knows how to use her height to an advantage on the court blocking high shots. She is tough and relentless on the court, playing through an injury at the championship game. Cardoso left her family in Brazil at 15 to pursue a career in basketball. The game is her life and she has given everything up for it. You can see this on the court with how she plays and compliments her team. She received the WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year Award and was recognized for it at the National Championship game. She was drafted to the Chicago Sky in the WNBA draft.
Paige Bueckers
Bueckers was rightfully disappointed after losing to Iowa during the Final Four. She made a mistake in a play during the game but noted afterwards that it’s not just one play determining the game. She took ownership for her mistake and a good season. She is the first player with three games of 25/10/5 in a single NCAA tournament. She is definitely someone to watch next year throughout UConn’s season.
Overall, this season of women’s basketball was a turning point for the sport, reassuring to the public that female athletes are important and required for young women to see. Women’s basketball dominated the March Madness season with tickets outpricing men’s basketball. This would not have happened without the impactful work of all the players, especially these four women.