Most points in Women's NCAA Tournament: How Paige Bueckers can pass Caitlin Clark's all-time scoring record

Great scorers come in a variety of flavors.

Some rely on three-point shooting to leave their mark. Others have a penchant for the paint. The college game has been littered with prolific scorers throughout its existence. Perhaps surprisingly to some, UConn guard Paige Bueckers is one of them.

Bueckers' reputation as a point producer hasn't always matched her production. Whereas players like Caitlin Clark and Maya Moore were lauded for their prolific natures, Bueckers — an all-around force — doesn't appear to carry the same stature.  That is, until you look at her numbers — particularly in postseason play.

With that, here's what you need to know about Bueckers and her scoring exploits as she approaches the Women's NCAA Tournament career scoring record.

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Most points in a Women's NCAA Tournament

As is the case with a great many NCAA records, Clark sits atop the list of most prolific Women's March Madness scorers, tallying 492 points across 17 tournament appearances — an average of 28.9 a game.

Bueckers won't catch Clark in terms of scoring average. But the UConn guard could eclipse her in raw scoring numbers if she can score at least 32 points during the national championship game.

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Currently, Bueckers sits fourth-place on the all-time scoring list, with Chamique Holdsclaw and Moore standing between her and Clark. Bueckers figures to have a good chance to climb up the charts — heading into the national championship game, Bueckers is averaging 26.4 points a game in tournament play. She recorded three straight games with 30 or more points prior to her 16-point outing against UCLA in the Final Four, all while playing efficiently as ever.

Here's a look at the 10 most prolific scorers in NCAA Tournament history.

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Bueckers hasn't always embraced being a scorer, much to head coach Geno Auriemma's chagrin. But with a scoring outburst during her last Final Four appearance, she could fetch a nice piece of scoring history for herself.

Caitlin Clark, Iowa (2020-24)

Clark is the tournament's greatest-ever scorer. The former Iowa standout took the Hawkeyes to new heights over the course of her four-year spell in Iowa City, lifting her side to two straight national championship game appearances.

From an individual perspective, Clark's first two tournament runs — in 2021 and 2022 — were impressive, but perhaps left a bit to be desired. Clark struggled in losses to UConn and Creighton in the Sweet 16 and second round, respectively.

The 2023 and 2024 tournaments were a different story. As a junior, Clark averaged 31.8 points, 10 assists and 5.2 rebounds across six tournament games. She tallied a 41-point triple-double in the Hawkeyes' Elite Eight win over Louisville, then followed it up with another 41-point outburst to vanquish South Carolina in the Final Four. Iowa couldn't outgun LSU in the national title game. But Clark went down swinging, recording 30 points in the defeat.

Clark's numbers tailed off slightly in her senior year tournament. But only just: she still averaged 30 points, 8.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds. Her side toppled the Tigers and the Huskies before falling to South Carolina in the finals.

Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (1995-99)

Despite gracing the college court some 25 years before the likes of Bueckers and Clark, Chamique Holdsclaw's tournament exploits still hold weight in the college game.

Before Holdsclaw was a six-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, she was a spark-plug on Pat Summitt's Tennessee sides of the mid-to-late 1990s.

Holdsclaw, a 6-2 forward, was the Volunteers' best player. And during the NCAA Tournament, her talent was especially evident. She garnered three national titles across four seasons in Knoxville.

A two-time Naismith Player of the Year, Holdsclaw — who averaged 21.8 points a game in tournament play — nabbed two Most Outstanding Player nods during that spell (1997, 1998).

Maya Moore, UConn (2007-11)

Moore was a force in March, leading UConn to national titles in 2009 and 2010, the latter of which saw her land Most Outstanding Player honors. The 6-foot forward wasn't quite as shot-happy as Clark or Holdsclaw. But she didn't need to be, either; standouts Tina Charles, Tiffany Hayes, Kalana Gardner and Renee Montgomery proved willing collaborators.

Moore's most prolific tournament run came in 2010. Across six games, Moore averaged 24 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. She was remarkably efficient in her production, shooting 58.2 percent from the field and anotherworldly 60.6 percent from the three-point line (on 5.5 attempts per game!)

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Paige Bueckers, UConn (2020-25)

Bueckers is the most recent entry into the list of tournament scoring stardom, driving UConn's latest tournament run with a barrage of baskets.

Coming into her senior season, Bueckers had already gained a reputation as a strong tournament performer, impressing in the Huskies' Final Four runs in 2021, 2022 and 2024. She took her play to a new level in 2025, thrice dropping 30-point games to lead UConn to a 16th Final Four appearance in 17 years.

Nneka Ogwumike, Stanford (2008-12)

Ogwumike never hoisted a national championship trophy beneath a fog of confetti. She nearly willed her team to do so on two occasions, however.

The Stanford alum went to four Final Fours during her time with the Cardinal. Her best scoring tournament run came in her senior year, when she tallied 134 points across five matches — good for a scoring average of 26.8 points.