Image via Complex Original
So. Much. Talent. The 2012 Women’s NCAA Tournament features a plethora of good teams, some excellent teams, a couple elite teams, and one team that is seemingly unstoppable – the perfect mix for an entertaining, intense tournament, no? Admittedly, the way this bracket is structured, it’s difficult to think anyone other than undefeated Baylor will end up dancing away with the ‘chip. Still, stranger things have happened.
Take last year, for example – it was the first final in nearly 30 years that didn’t feature a No. 1 seed. So, the question becomes, Can anyone find a way to stop Baylor’s Brittney Griner? Can she really be that good? (Note: Yes, she can. And, she is.) Yet, last year, Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame showed us how much a single player can impact their team’s collective success. Ultimately, if any team wants to advance to the Final Four in Denver, it’s up to a select group of players to impose their will on the opponent no matter what cost. But other than Diggins and Griner, who has it in them to take their team to the next level? Breaking down the players who have the ability to make that happen is women’s basketball legend, Hall of Famer, and ESPN analyst, Rebecca Lobo.
6. Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee
Position (Class): Guard/Forward (Senior)
Height: 6-foot-2
Stats: 15.4 PPG, 6.4 APG
Rebecca Lobo's Take: “When she is looking for her offensive game, she is an elite perimeter player. If she decides that she is going to do everything in her power to keep the Lady Vols rolling, they'll roll.”
5. Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Position (Class): Guard (Sophomore)
Height: 5-foot-9
Stats: 14.8 PPG, 5.6 APG
Rebecca Lobo's Take: “Her one-on-one perimeter defense is among the best in the country. Know this: If you are a point guard playing against Baylor, Odyssey Sims is going to strip you and go the other way for two points AT LEAST once during the game.”
4. Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
Position (Class): Guard (Junior)
Height: 5-foot-9
Stats: 17.0 PPG, 5.7 APG
Rebecca Lobo's Take: “Skylar showed in last year's tournament that she can help carry her team to a Final Four. She's a terrific decision-maker and threads the needle with the best of them. She also knows when and how to take a game over with her own scoring.”
3. Nneka Ogwumike, Stanford
Position (Class): Forward (Senior)
Height: 6-foot-2
Stats: 21.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG
Rebecca Lobo's Take: “Like Dennis Rodman, she can impact the game with rebounding alone. Unlike Rodman, she's got some fine-tuned offensive skills. If Stanford makes it to another Final Four, it'll be due in large part to Nneka's performance.”
2. Alyssa Thomas, Maryland
Position (Class): Forward (Sophomore)
Height: 6-foot-2
Stats: 17.4 PPG, 8.1 APG
Rebecca Lobo's Take: “Maryland could make it to the Final Four but will have to get player of the year performances from Thomas in order to do so. Her body is ridiculous; she already has the strength of a pro and nobody plays harder.”
1. Brittney Griner, Baylor
Position (Class): Center (Junior)
Height: 6-foot-8
Stats: 23.3 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 5.1 BPG
Rebecca Lobo's Take: “She's number 1-5 on this list. If she is in foul trouble, everything changes on both ends of the floor.”
