LSU went from surprise NCAA champion to mounting questions surrounding Angel Reese’s absence, while UConn’s end of an era also highlighted the year
The top women’s college basketball moments that fueled our fandom in 2023 included Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, the record viewership numbers and an undefeated South Carolina season.
Women’s college basketball had plenty of moments that fueled our fandom in 2023, from LSU’s rise to Caitlin Clark to UConn’s fall. Here are the top moments of 2023.
LSU made quite an impact in 2023. From the Lady Tigers bursting into the Final Four and winning the national championship with a team comprised mainly of transfers to the star of that run, Angel Reese, being mysteriously absent for four games early in the 2023-24 season, this was certainly the year of LSU.
After the 2022-23 season success, LSU landed two additional key transfers in Hailey Van Lith from Louisville and Aneesah Morrow from DePaul. But the Lady Tigers’ 2023-24 season started off rocky with a loss to Colorado in the season opener. Four games into the season, Reese was benched without explanation only to return in time for the Final Four rematch against Virginia Tech. Not long after that, Kateri Poole was “no longer with us,” according to head coach Kim Mulkey.
LSU is currently ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll with a 12-1 record. A repeat championship isn’t out of the question in 2024.
LSU’s rise also coincided and collided with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Clark has notched 13 career triple-doubles, including a 40-point one to propel Iowa into the 2023 Final Four. She was named the Naismith Player of the Year as the Hawkeyes carved their way through the NCAA tournament, knocking off previously unbeaten South Carolina to face LSU in the national championship game. The budding rivalry between Clark and Reese drew record viewership in the title game.
In the 2023-24 season, Clark is on pace to set the Division I women’s scoring record currently held by Kelsey Plum at 3,527 career points. She could also reach the all-time D-I scoring record held by LSU legend Pete Maravich’s all-time record at 3,667 points. Clark surpassed the 3,000-point mark for her career this month.
Clark is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft — if she decides to forgo her COVID-19 season in college. The Indiana Fever earned the right to draft No. 1 for the second straight year after winning the draft lottery earlier this month. If the stars align, Clark could pair with 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston in Indianapolis.
