March Madness: 10 duos to watch out for in women’s NCAA tournament
Top 10 dominant pairs in 2024 women's NCAA tournament
The 2023-24 women's college basketball season has been characterized by star power, with Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese receiving a lot of attention. There are several ways where teammates can contribute both individually and together. For its ranking of the best 10 duos participating in the Big Dance, ESPN took into account an array of combinations, including guard-post tandems, backcourt siblings, and post pairs.
1. Caitlin Clark and Hannah Stuelke
It's easy to argue that anyone and Clark would make a strong team, but it misses how crucial Stuelke is to the Hawkeyes. Clark had 15 assists on a night when Stuelke scored 47 points against Penn State. Stuelke isn't the same kind of player as Monika Czinano, but she did a good job filling the roles of an inside presence and finisher for Iowa. Even with Clark's skill, Stuelke's play is what makes Iowa the best team in Albany 2 and the No. 1 seed.
2. Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards
The Huskies' senior duo is under even more pressure to perform every night as a result of their recent spate of illness. This is how Bueckers and Edwards have led UConn to a perfect Big East record. Bueckers showed exceptional effectiveness in her first season returning after an ACL injury. Amid a depleted frontcourt rotation, Edwards—who suffered a broken nose in the Big East tournament—is expected to continue playing and have a career season.
3. Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow
When it came to double-doubles, the 6 ft 3 inches Reese was third in the nation and the 6 ft 1 inch Morrow was sixth. In total, they scored 43 points during the season, and LSU, the No. 3 seed in Albany 2, had the second-best rebounding margin in the nation, trailing only UCLA. Reese and Morrow became a formidable duo after they took some time to realize their positions, even with the wealth of talent Kim Mulkey at their disposal.
4. Audi Crooks and Addy Brown
This season, there are tons of exceptional first-year players. However, no freshman team has been more influential than Crooks and Brown, who are the top scorers and rebounders for the Cyclones this season. Brown is from Kansas, while Crooks is originally from Iowa. They immediately clicked for an Iowa State squad that desperately needed them, helping the Cyclones to both the league tournament title game and a fourth-place finish in the Big 12.
5. Hannah Hidalgo and Maddy Westbeld
Hidalgo and Westbeld have been indispensable members of an Irish team decimated by injuries. Hidalgo is the best defender and top scorer for Notre Dame. Westbeld is the squad's top rebounder and best 3-point shooter. There was no finer illustration of their significance when they combined to score all but one of the Irish's second-half points in a victory over NC State in the ACC tournament title game.
6. Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao
One of the nation's most potent centers, Cardoso has replaced Aliyah Boston as South Carolina's main inside threat since the latter left for the WNBA. Before moving to South Carolina and emerging as the top 3-point shooter for the Gamecocks, Paopao spent three seasons as a standout guard for Oregon. This inside-outside combination, which is new to the team but has already established synergy swiftly, is the focal point of the Gamecocks' offense.
7. Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor
Sheldon and Taylor are largely responsible for Ohio State's seventh-place finish in the Power 5 in terms of steals per game (10.6). With a combined steal rate of 4.4 per game, the two senior guards in their fifth year can be quite disruptive to the opposition. While Taylor played at Texas and Duke in the past, Sheldon has spent her entire career at Ohio State. Sheldon and Taylor are both very offensive players, which is essential if they want to go all the way to the Final Four.
8. Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen
As a junior, Iriafen, a 6-3 forward, has made significant progress, leading the Cardinals in scoring and assisting them in controlling the glass. Brink, a 6-4 forward who won the Pac-12 Player of the Year award in 2024, has found that Iriafen is the ideal supplementary player. This has helped Brink cement her place as the probable No. 2 choice in the WNBA draft, which takes place in April.
9. Georgia Amoore and Elizabeth Kitley
The Hokies advanced to the Final Four in 2023 thanks to the Amoore-Kitley combo. With the addition of new players in the offseason, the two players may have become even more effective, as they are both enjoying career seasons that have helped Virginia Tech win the ACC regular-season championship. However, Kitley's availability for the NCAA tournament remains a significant question mark. The three-time ACC Player of the Year suffered a knee injury in the Hokies' regular-season finale on March 3.
10. Charisma Osborne and Kiki Rice
Osborne made the wise decision to continue for a fifth season, which has benefitted the program as well as her. Osborne is not only a superb defender but also the person her teammates turn to when things get tight. Rice is the second-best rebounding guard in the Pac-12 and ranks seventh in assists. Because of their adaptability, Cori Close may surround them with any other group of players without compromising output.
