Oregon women’s basketball has been on to something special in recent years.
In women’s college basketball, we’ve become accustomed to dominance by traditional powerhouses. The men’s game isn’t much different. We’ve seen Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina establish “dynasties” over the last couple of decades. The women’s game sees its share of “dynasties.” Tennessee under Pat Summit, the UConn program is still running strong under Geno Auriemma, Notre Dame under Muffet McGraw, and Baylor under Kim Mulkey. However, there might be a new program on the rise that is capable of hanging with the elites for years to come. Kelly Graves and his Oregon Ducks.
How they got here
Graves had built a powerhouse Gonzaga program before taking over the Ducks in 2014. As the head coach of the Zags, he won 10 straight West Coast Conference Championships. His winning ways have already found their way to Eugene. He’s coming off back to back conference championships and three straight Elite Eight appearances which includes a trip to the Final Four last year.
Graves has solidified himself as one of the best coaches in the game and recruits are taking notice. He’s currently working with Sabrina Ionescu who is the best player in the country. Ionescu was part of his 2016 recruiting class that was ranked third nationally. Now with Ionescu as a senior and on her way to the WNBA, he’s signed the #1 recruiting class in the nation. All five signees are on the midseason top 25 team for the Naismith Trophy (given to the best high school player every year). They’re the only school in the country to have five players on this list and one of three schools to have multiple players.
The class consists of Sydney Parrish, Kylee Watson, Maddie Scherr, Angela Dugalic, and Te-Hina Paopao. All five girls being five-star recruits on multiple recruiting sites. Parrish is the top signee. She’s the 10th highest recruit nationally and second positionally by ESPN. The Fishers, IN native, should be a huge piece for the Ducks going forward.
What’s next?
After a Final Four appearance last year the Oregon Ducks are hungry to get back. They’re currently 14-2 and ranked 6th in the nation. With seven games against ranked opponents remaining, the Ducks control their own destiny. Lead by the best player in the country, Sabrina Ionescu, this Oregon team will be battle-tested and ready for a run come March.
The confetti may not fall this season but with Graves leading the way, it’s only a matter of time. This Oregon women’s basketball program has the potential to become a dynasty that rivals the likes of UConn for years to come.