Best Texas Tech Lady Raiders Women's Basketball Players of All Time

Last Updated on May 30, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Texas Tech women’s basketball is one of the sport’s true legacy programs. The Lady Raiders won the 1993 national championship, made 18 NCAA tournaments under Marsha Sharp, reached four Elite Eights, and built a run of conference-winning teams that gave the program national weight for years. That history makes this list deeper than most. At Texas Tech, being a legend is not just about scoring totals. It is also about All-America level play, postseason impact, and how much a player helped define the Lady Raiders at their best.

1. Sheryl Swoopes

Years with Texas Tech: 1991–1993
Position: Guard/Forward
Notable achievements:
- 1993 National Player of the Year
- Led Texas Tech to the 1993 NCAA championship
- Scored 47 points in the national title game
- No. 22 retired by Texas Tech
- Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Sheryl Swoopes is the clearest No. 1 on this list. She was the face of the 1993 title team, the most decorated player in program history, and the player who pushed Texas Tech from elite contender to national champion. Her scoring peaks were outrageous, including a school-record 53 points in the SWC tournament title game, and her bigger legacy is even stronger than the numbers. She became the program’s defining icon. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

2. Alicia Thompson

Years with Texas Tech: 1994–1998
Position: Post
Notable achievements:
- Three-time All-American
- 1996 SWC Most Valuable Player
- Second in program history in career scoring
- Second in program history in career rebounds
- Texas Tech Hall of Honor inductee

Alicia Thompson has one of the strongest all-around résumés any Lady Raider has ever put together. She followed the championship era and still kept Texas Tech operating at a national level, combining scoring, rebounding, efficiency and consistency over four seasons. She finished with 2,156 points and 953 rebounds, which is why she belongs near the very top even without a national title of her own. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

3. Carolyn Thompson

Years with Texas Tech: 1980–1984
Position: Post
Notable achievements:
- Texas Tech career leader in points
- Texas Tech career leader in rebounds
- No. 44 retired by Texas Tech
- Southwest Conference Hall of Fame inductee

Carolyn Thompson has a legitimate case as the most productive player in school history. She still holds the Lady Raiders’ career records for points with 2,655 and rebounds with 1,247, which is a staggering combination for any era. She played before the championship years, but her statistical hold on the record book and retired jersey status make her impossible to rank outside the top tier.

4. Krista Gerlich

Years with Texas Tech: 1989–1993
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Starter on the 1993 national championship team
- Honorable Mention All-American in 1993
- No. 21 retired by Texas Tech
- Top-three career assist total in program history
- One of the most important culture figures in Lady Raider history

Krista Gerlich’s place this high is about more than sentiment. She was a lead guard on the national title team, one of the best shooters and playmakers the program has had, and one of only a few Lady Raiders with a retired number. Her later role as head coach adds to her visibility, but even if you separate the coaching career, her playing résumé still stands on its own. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

5. Plenette Pierson

Years with Texas Tech: 2002–2003
Position: Forward/Center
Notable achievements:
- Two-time All-American
- 2003 AP Third-Team All-American
- Led Texas Tech in scoring and rebounding in 2002–03
- Texas Tech Hall of Fame inductee

Plenette Pierson did not have the four-year Texas Tech career some others had because she transferred in, but her peak was too strong to leave out of the top five. She was one of the most physically dominant interior players the program has seen, gave the Lady Raiders star-level production right away, and was later recognized as one of the program’s Hall of Fame players. Peak for peak, she stacks up with almost anyone. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

6. Erin Grant

Years with Texas Tech: 2002–2006
Position: Point Guard
Notable achievements:
- 2006 Kodak/WBCA All-American
- Three-time All-Big 12 selection
- Big 12 co-Freshman of the Year in 2003
- Texas Tech career leader in assists

Erin Grant was one of the best pure point guards Texas Tech ever had. She finished with 844 assists, still the school record, and gave the Lady Raiders top-level floor leadership for four seasons. Her value went beyond passing too, because she scored enough to clear 1,100 career points and ran teams that stayed nationally relevant. She belongs firmly in the upper half of this list.

7. Cisti Greenwalt

Years with Texas Tech: 2001–2005
Position: Center
Notable achievements:
- First-Team All-Big 12
- Texas Tech career leader in blocked shots
- Former Big 12 career blocks leader
- WNBA draft pick

Cisti Greenwalt gave Texas Tech elite rim protection and real interior scoring at the same time. She finished with 300 career blocks, which still stands as the program record, and at one point she also owned the Big 12 career record in that category. She was not as nationally famous as some of the bigger names above her, but in terms of sustained frontcourt impact, she is absolutely one of the program’s legends.

8. Noel Johnson

Years with Texas Tech: 1991–1995
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Starter on the 1993 national championship team
- Four straight SWC championships
- Four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances
- One of the key perimeter players of the Marsha Sharp dynasty years

Noel Johnson’s legacy is tied directly to winning, and at a place like Texas Tech that matters a lot. She was part of the best multi-year run the program ever had and helped power a stretch that included a national title, four Sweet 16 appearances and four straight SWC championships. She may not have the same individual spotlight as Swoopes, but she was a core championship-era player, which gives her a very strong case here. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

9. Jia Perkins

Years with Texas Tech: 2001–2003
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Nationally recognized All-American-caliber guard
- Wooden Award preseason All-American selection
- High-level scorer and perimeter playmaker
- Key star of the early-2000s Lady Raiders

Jia Perkins was one of the most explosive guards to play for Texas Tech. Her time in Lubbock was shorter than some others on this list, but her talent level was obvious and her national recognition reflected that. She brought dynamic scoring and shot creation to the backcourt and was one of the main reasons Texas Tech remained a serious program in the early 2000s. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

10. Katrisa O’Neal

Years with Texas Tech: 1997–2001
Position: Guard
Notable achievements:
- Texas Tech career steals leader at the time
- One of the best defensive guards in program history
- Top-tier ballhawk on strong Big 12 teams

Katrisa O’Neal earns the last top-10 spot because she was one of the great defensive guards in Lady Raider history. She set the school steals standard during her career and gave Texas Tech constant pressure at the point of attack. Some players behind her may have stronger offensive numbers, but O’Neal’s defensive identity and long-term production make her worthy of inclusion. (Texas Tech Red Raiders)

Honorable mentions

Keitha Dickerson
Camille Franklin
Angie Braziel
Brittany Brewer
Karen Farst

Keitha Dickerson was a major rebounder and post presence on strong 1990s teams, Camille Franklin was one of the early steals-and-assists standouts in program history, Angie Braziel was a major scorer during the late 1990s, Brittany Brewer became one of the best shot blockers Texas Tech has had, and Karen Farst remains part of the record book through elite free-throw shooting and strong late-1980s production.

Sources:

Texas Tech Lady Raiders Women’s Basketball Legends