Most points in a women's March Madness game: Full list of NCAA Tournament single-game scoring records all time

Kyle Irving

Most points in a women's March Madness game: Full list of NCAA Tournament single-game scoring records all time image

Records are bound to be in jeopardy with the superstars taking center stage in the 2024 women's NCAA Tournament.

We've already seen prolific scorers like USC freshman JuJu Watkins go for 51 points this season. Iowa's Caitlin Clark erupted for over 40 points four times this season.

The stars shine the brightest on the biggest stage, and records are meant to be broken. As women's March Madness gets underway, take a look at the highest individual single-game scoring performances in the history of the tournament.

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Most points in a women's March Madness game

The record for most points in a women's NCAA Tournament game is owned by Drake's Lorri Bauman, who scored 50 points against Maryland in the 1982 Elite Eight.

That record has held strong for over 40 years and has only been closely challenged a couple of times.

WNBA Hall of Famer and Texas Tech star Sheryl Swoopes set a national championship game record with 47 points against Maryland back in 1993.

Stanford's Jayne Appel went for 46 points against Iowa State in the 2009 Elite Eight. Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell dropped 45 points against West Virginia in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Aside from that trio, no player has come within five points of Bauman's record.

You can find the highest-scoring performances in women's March Madness below.

Rank Player School Year Points
1. Lorri Bauman Drake 1982 50
2. Sheryl Swoopes Texas Tech 1993 47
3. Jayne Appel Stanford 2009 46
4. Kelsey Mitchell Ohio State 2016 45
5. Candice Wiggins Stanford 2008 44
6. Barbara Kennedy Clemson 1982 43
T-7. Marissa Coleman Maryland 2009 42
  Elizabeth Kitley Virginia Tech 2022 42
T-9. Caitlin Clark Iowa 2023 41
  Caitlin Clark Iowa 2023 41
  Jackie Stiles Missouri State 2001 41
  Candice Wiggins Stanford 2008 41
  Morgan William Mississippi State 2017 41

MORE: Clark named SN Player of the Year | Women's All-America team

Clark didn't challenge Bauman's record in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, but she made history in her own right.

Clark dropped back-to-back 40-point games in Iowa's run to the national championship. She had 41 points against Louisville in the Elite Eight, also recording 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the first 40-point triple-double in men's or women's tournament history.

She followed that performance with another 41 points vs. South Carolina in the Final Four to help the Hawkeyes reach their first-ever title game.

With the record-breaking season Clark has enjoyed this year, don't be surprised if she threatens the 50-point mark during her March Madness run.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.