Lauren Betts became the first player from Colorado to win NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors Sunday after leading UCLA to the women's national title.
Betts scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had two blocked shots in a 79-51 victory over South Carolina to help deliver UCLA its first NCAA championship. At
Grandview (Aurora), Betts was the MaxPreps Colorado Player of the Year in 2021-22 after winning a state title as a senior year.
California, New York and Texas have all laid claim to three women's MOPs. Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee are the only others to have multiple winners.
Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) is the only school with multiple winners. Chamique Holdsclaw won the award in back-to-back years in the 1990s while at Tennessee and Tina Charles won it in 2009 with UConn.
Azzi Fudd,
Maya Moore,
Breanna Stewart and
A'ja Wilson are all former tourney MOPs who were also named MaxPreps National Players of the Year in high school.
Read on for a full list of women's NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Players.
Year – Winner, College, High School1983 – Cheryl Miller, USC,
Poly (Riverside, Calif.)1984 – Cheryl Miller, USC
1985 – Tracy Claxton, Old Dominion,
Wilbur Cross (New Haven, Conn.)1986 – Clarissa Davis, Texas,
Jay (San Antonio, Texas)1987 – Tonya Edwards, Tennessee,
Northwestern (Flint, Mich.)1988 – Erica Westbrooks, Louisiana Tech,
Camden Fairview (Camden, Ark.)1989 – Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee,
DeLand (Fla.)1990 – Jennifer Azzi, Stanford,
Oak Ridge (Tenn.)1991 – Dawn Staley, Virginia,
Dobbins-Randolph Vo-Tech (Philadelphia, Pa.)1992 – Molly Goodenbour, Stanford,
Waterloo West (Waterloo, Iowa)1993 – Sheryl Swoopes, Texas Tech,
Brownfield (Texas)1994 – Charlotte Smith, North Carolina,
Shelby (N.C.)1995 – Rebecca Lobo, Connecticut,
Southwick Regional (Southwick, Mass.)1996 – Michelle Marciniak, Tennessee,
Allentown Central Catholic (Allentown, Pa.)1997 – Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee,
Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)1998 – Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
1999 – Ukari Figgs, Purdue,
Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.)2000 – Shea Ralph, Connecticut,
Terry Sanford (Fayetteville, N.C.)2001 – Ruth Riley, Notre Dame,
North Miami (Denver, Ind.)2002 – Swin Cash, Connecticut,
McKeesport (Pa.)2003 – Diana Taurasi, Connecticut,
Don Lugo (Chino, Calif.)2004 – Diana Taurasi, Connecticut
2005 – Sophia Young, Baylor,
Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport, La.)2006 – Laura Harper, Maryland,
Cheltenham (Wyncote, Pa.)2007 – Candace Parker, Tennessee,
Naperville Central (Naperville, Ill.)2008 – Candace Parker, Tennessee
2009 – Tina Charles, Connecticut, Christ the King
2010 – Maya Moore, Connecticut,
Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)2011 – Danielle Adams, Texas A&M,
Lee's Summit (Mo.)2012 – Brittney Griner, Baylor,
Nimitz (Houston, Texas)2013 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut,
Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.)2014 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
2015 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
2016 – Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
2017 – A'ja Wilson, South Carolina,
Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, S.C.)2018 – Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame,
Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee, Wis.)2019 – Chloe Jackson, Baylor,
Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.)2020 – No tournament (COVID)
2021 – Haley Jones, Stanford,
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)2022 – Aliyah Boston, South Carolina,
Worcester Academy (Worcester, Mass.)2023 – Angel Reese, LSU,
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)2024 – Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina,
Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga, Tenn.)2025 – Azzi Fudd, Connecticut,
St. John's (Washington, D.C.)2026 – Lauren Betts, UCLA,
Grandview (Aurora, Colo.)
