Five women’s college basketball records that will make you do a double take
Some basketball records are eye-opening. Others make you wonder if someone accidentally added a digit to the box score. On Nov. 12, 2025, the Grace College Lancers beat the Ohio Christian Trailblazers 172-91, setting the all-time single-game scoring record in women’s college basketball across NCAA Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA.
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Yes, 172 points. In one game. That’s not a typo.
Even wilder? The game was scoreless for nearly the first minute and a half.
For perspective, the Lancers blew past the previous mark of 159 points, shared by Grambling (2024) and Oklahoma Baptist (1995).
If Grace College’s performance sounds ridiculous, buckle up.
Women’s college basketball is full of records so outrageous they make you do a double take, check the history books and ask, How is that even possible?
Here are five of our favorites.
1. UConn’s 111-game winning streak
Spanning from November 2014 to March 2017, this historic 111-game run surpassed the men’s record of 88 straight wins held by UCLA, as well as UConn’s prior women’s record of 90 consecutive victories.
The streak was a masterclass in dominance, with 108 of the 111 victories coming by double digits and the Huskies capturing two national titles during that stretch.
The legendary run came to a dramatic end on March 31, 2017, during the NCAA Final Four. In one of the most famous upsets in sports history, Mississippi State defeated UConn 66-64 in overtime, courtesy of a buzzer-beating jumper by Morgan William.
The 111-game stretch remains the gold standard for winning streaks across all divisions of college basketball. What’s more, UConn also has had winning streaks of 90 games (2008-11), 70 games (2001-03) and 54 games (2025-26).
2. Caitlin Clark’s 3,951 career points
Caitlin Clark setting the Division I all-time scoring record (men or women) wasn’t just a historic moment, it was a cultural phenomenon.
For 54 years, Pete Maravich’s career points record of 3,667 was considered untouchable. Remember, Pistol Pete put up those numbers in three seasons at LSU, playing in an era before the 3-point line or the shot clock. It was a record many thought would be safe forever.
Then came Clark. From 2020-24, she turned Iowa games into must-see TV. In addition to breaking Maravich’s record, she shattered the women’s mark held by Washington’s Kelsey Plum (3,527) in finishing with 3,951 points.
One important historical note: Lynette Woodard scored 3,649 points at Kansas from 1977-81 while playing in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women era before the NCAA sponsored women’s basketball. Clark passed Woodard’s mark in February 2024.
The wildest part about Clark’s legacy? She finished her career as the NCAA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers (548) but also ranked third in assists (1,144). She is the only player in Division I history to eclipse 3,000 points and 1,000 assists.
3. Sabrina Ionescu’s 26 career triple-doubles
Sabrina Ionescu finished her four-year career at Oregon with 26 triple-doubles, an NCAA record for both women’s and men’s basketball.
Ionescu recorded eight triple-doubles in each of her final two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20), which stands as a single-season record. Even more impressive, Oregon won all 26 games in which she recorded a triple-double.
Her total is more than double that of the men’s record of 12, held by BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth.
She finished her career in Eugene averaging 18 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, and she is the only player in Division I history (men or women) to achieve the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound and 1,000-assist milestone.
4. Ayoka Lee’s 61-point performance
Ayoka Lee’s 61-point effort was a clinic in old-school paint dominance.
On Jan. 23, 2022, the 6-foot-6 Kansas State junior center not only set the Division I women’s single-game scoring record, she did so with remarkable efficiency – and nearly singlehandedly outscored Oklahoma that night.
Lee shot 23 of 30 from the floor and 15-for-17 from the free throw line in a 94-65 win over the Sooners. In an era obsessed with the 3-pointer, she didn’t attempt one shot from deep.
The previous record of 60 points was held by two players: Long Beach State’s Cindy Brown (1987) and Minnesota’s Rachel Banham (2016).
5. Brittney Griner’s 748 career blocked shots
Brittney Griner blocked 748 shots during her four-year career at Baylor, a number that dwarfs the Division I men’s record (564 held by Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado) and is 80 more than South Carolina State’s Wanda Pittman, who ranks second on the women’s list.
The 6-foot-9 Griner averaged 5.1 blocks per game over 148 appearances, with her best season coming as a freshman in 2009-10, when she rejected 223 shots.
She led the Bears to the national championship as a junior, putting up 26 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks in an 80-61 win over Notre Dame in the title game as Baylor finished undefeated and became the first team (men or women) to win 40 games in a season.
Griner averaged 22.2 points per game while playing for the Bears and finished with 3,283 career points to go with the 748 blocked shots.
Mike Garbett is a content specialist working with McClatchy’s Content Innovation Lab.
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This story was originally published October 23, 2026 at 10:29 AM with the headline “Five women’s college basketball records that will make you do a double take.”
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