Big Ten Women's Basketball Power Rankings: Top 5 Players of the Past 5 Years

For too long, women’s basketball has not received the recognition the sport deserves. For decades, the sport of basketball has always belonged to men. But through its Title IX efforts, the NCAA has taken steps to liberate women. With support from executives overseeing college sports, women have slowly increased their “market share” in the basketball “industry.”

The fact that there are already some incredibly talented hoopers participating at the university level will only serve to support the NCAA’s efforts to close the gender gap in basketball. It’s crucial to keep in mind the players who came before them, who might not have enjoyed the same level of attention that modern women do, even as the modern players break records and create history.

Those factors in mind, it’s time to pay tribute to some of the greatest female hoopers in recent memory. To be more specific, these are the best 5 Big Ten players for women’s basketball over the last five seasons.

5. Nia Clouden | Michigan State University

After her impressive four-year tenure at MSU, Nia Crowded announced her 2022 WNBA Draft to the Connecticut Sun He was nominated 12th. She didn’t get much playing time during her rookie season with the Suns, but the Los Angeles Sparks put her on waivers before the start of last season (she didn’t get much playing time then either).

It will definitely take time for Clouden to find her rhythm in the professional ranks, but she’s only 23 (24 in May) and has plenty of time to hone her skills. She is a few years away from posting her career averages of 16.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.4 SPG.

4. Grace Berger | Indiana

Grace Berger was selected No. 7 overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft after the beloved Hoosier had one of the best careers in recent (or longer) cream and purple history. For Berger, the Indiana fever made his career transition much easier. Rounder was typical of head coach Terry Moren when he was on the field for the Hoosiers. Although her rookie season with the Fever wasn’t spectacular (14.6 MPG, 4.2 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 44.9% FG/37.1%!!!/84.0% FT in 36 games), she was a true He is a breakout candidate. We look forward to her upcoming WNBA season.

3. Mackenzie Holmes | Indiana

Indiana’s all-time leading scorer, Mackenzie Holmes, has cemented her place atop IU’s cumulative Mount Rushmore. Despite her continued dominance, she remains omitted from most (all) WNBA mock drafts.

2. Diamond Miller | Maryland

Miller was selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the second overall pick behind Aliyah Boston, a sure-fire 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year. looked solid in his WNBA rookie season. Her cool, level-headed demeanor was one of the reasons she was such a notable pro candidate from Maryland. Another reason is her leadership, as she led the Terrapins to the Elite Eight in 2021-2022 and then to the Final Four in her senior campaign in 2022-2023.

Miller will forever be remembered not only as one of the best guards in Big Ten history, but also in the history of women’s college basketball. But there’s another baseball player she (or anyone else) can compare to.