Last Updated on May 30, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Washington women’s basketball has never had the volume of national championships some blue-blood programs can lean on, but the Huskies have still built a serious history. The program has reached 20 NCAA tournaments, made Elite Eight runs in 1990, 2001 and 2016, and broke through to its first Final Four in 2016. That gives this list a good mix of old-school stars, major Pac-10 and Pac-12 names, and the players who pushed Washington onto the national stage.

1. Kelsey Plum

  • Years at Washington: 2013–2017
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • Former NCAA all-time leading scorer
    • Washington all-time leading scorer
    • AP Player of the Year
    • Naismith Trophy winner
    • Led Washington to the 2016 Final Four
    • First women’s basketball player to have a jersey retired by UW

Kelsey Plum is the easiest No. 1 on this list. Washington’s official bio credits her with 3,527 career points, the NCAA career scoring record at the time, along with the single-season NCAA scoring record of 1,109 points in 2016-17. She was also the star of the greatest postseason run in program history, helping drive the Huskies to the 2016 Final Four before later becoming the first Washington women’s player to have her jersey retired. When one player owns the scoring records, the national awards and the most famous run the program has ever had, there is no real debate. (University of Washington Athletics)

2. Giuliana Mendiola

  • Years at Washington: 2001–2004
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • Pac-10 Player of the Year
    • All-American
    • Washington all-time assists leader
    • One of the most complete guards in program history

Giuliana Mendiola belongs near the very top because she was one of the best all-around players Washington ever produced. Her official player bio and Washington release history show that she was the 2003 Pac-10 Player of the Year, earned All-America recognition, and climbed past Rhonda Smith on the school’s all-time scoring list during her senior year. She is also still the program’s career assists leader, which speaks to how much of the offense ran through her. She was not just productive. She was a true centerpiece. (University of Washington Athletics)

3. Jamie Redd

  • Years at Washington: 1995–1999
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • Former Washington all-time leading scorer
    • Pac-12 All-Century Team selection
    • Three-time All-Pac-10 player
    • Led the team in scoring and assists all four years

Jamie Redd has one of the strongest long-term cases in program history. Washington noted when she made the Pac-12 All-Century Team that she scored 2,027 career points, held the school scoring record for 16 years and led the Huskies in both scoring and assists in every season she played. That kind of four-year control over a program is rare. She may get overshadowed now because Plum came later, but for a long stretch Redd was the standard. (University of Washington Athletics)

4. Jazmine Davis

  • Years at Washington: 2011–2015
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
    • All-Pac-12 First Team
    • Former Washington all-time leading scorer
    • Key star in Washington’s rise under Mike Neighbors

Jazmine Davis deserves this spot because she was the bridge between Washington being solid and Washington becoming nationally dangerous. Her official bio says her freshman season was arguably the best debut in school history, and Washington’s own game story from 2015 notes that she broke the school’s all-time scoring record before Plum passed her later. She was explosive, tough to stay in front of, and productive from the moment she got to Seattle. (University of Washington Athletics)

5. Karen Murray

  • Years at Washington: 1981–1984
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • First Husky women’s player inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame
    • Former program scoring record holder
    • Washington career leader in field goal percentage
    • One of the early stars who helped establish the program

Karen Murray has to rank highly because she was one of the first great players Washington women’s basketball ever had. Washington’s Hall of Fame history notes that she averaged 16.3 points per game, held the Husky career scoring record for 11 years and became the first women’s player from the program inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 1992. Later record books still list her as Washington’s career leader in field goal percentage. Her importance is both historical and statistical. (static.gohuskies.com)

6. Chantel Osahor

  • Years at Washington: 2013–2017
  • Position: Forward/Center
  • Notable achievements:
    • Washington all-time leading rebounder
    • WBCA All-American
    • AP second-team All-American
    • 2016 NCAA Lexington Regional MVP
    • Major force on the Final Four team

Chantel Osahor was one of the most important reasons the 2016 and 2017 Huskies were more than just a scoring show around Plum. Washington’s official bio identifies her as the school’s all-time leading rebounder, a WBCA All-American, and the 2016 NCAA Lexington Regional MVP. She also became only the second player in program history to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Her value was massive on the glass, defensively and in terms of giving those great Husky teams real balance. (University of Washington Athletics)

7. Loree Payne

  • Years at Washington: 1999–2003
  • Position: Guard/Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Top-10 scorer in program history
    • Elite free-throw shooter
    • Core player on the 2001 Elite Eight team
    • One of the major stars of the early-2000s era

Loree Payne’s name does not always come up first outside Washington circles, but her résumé is strong enough for this list. Washington’s historical record material places her among the program’s top career scorers, and later UW game notes still had her high on the all-time points and free-throw leaderboards. She was also central to the 2001 team that reached the Elite Eight, which remains one of the best seasons in school history. (University of Washington Athletics)

8. Rhonda Smith

  • Years at Washington: 1992–1995
  • Position: Guard
  • Notable achievements:
    • Husky Hall of Fame member
    • Top career scorer in program history for a period
    • Three-time All-Pac-10 selection
    • First Husky drafted into the WNBA

Rhonda Smith has a very legitimate legends case because she paired individual production with historical significance. Washington’s Hall of Fame entry says she scored 1,801 points during her career, and the school’s 2000 WNBA draft story noted that she earned All-Pac-10 honors three times and became the first Husky ever drafted into the WNBA. That kind of résumé matters in a program history ranking, especially for a player who kept Washington nationally relevant in the mid-1990s. (University of Washington Athletics)

9. Yvette Cole

  • Years at Washington: 1986–1989
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Husky Hall of Fame member
    • Ranked among Washington’s best in scoring, steals, rebounding and assists
    • Led Washington to a second-place Pac-10 finish in 1989
    • One of the defining stars of the late-1980s era

Yvette Cole belongs here because she left a footprint across almost every major category. Washington’s Hall of Fame profile says she still ranked among the school’s all-time leaders in scoring, steals, rebounding and assists, while also earning all-conference recognition and helping lead the Huskies to a second-place league finish in 1989. On a legends list, players who can claim both all-around production and major standing in program history usually age very well. (University of Washington Athletics)

10. Talia Walton

  • Years at Washington: 2011–2016
  • Position: Forward
  • Notable achievements:
    • Key starter on Washington’s 2016 Final Four team
    • Washington single-season blocks leader
    • One of the best frontcourt defenders in program history
    • Important two-way partner in the Huskies’ breakthrough era

Talia Walton rounds out the top 10 because Washington’s biggest team ever does not reach the Final Four without her. The Huskies’ 2016 retrospective specifically recalled her 20-point game against Maryland and the dagger three that helped swing that upset, while UW record material still lists her as the single-season blocks leader. She may not have the same headline profile as Plum or Osahor, but she was a major piece of the program’s most important modern team. (University of Washington Athletics)

Honorable mentions

  • Leteia Hughley
  • Kristen O’Neill
  • Amber Hall
  • Karen Deden

Leteia Hughley has a strong argument because Washington’s record book still lists her as the career steals leader, while Amber Hall remains prominent in program history for double-doubles, steals and blocks. Kristen O’Neill was an important scorer and playmaker on the early-2000s teams, and Karen Deden was one of the standout interior players of the late 1980s and early 1990s. On another day, any of them could slide into the back end of the top 10.

Sources:

University of Washington Athletics — 2025-26 WBB Record Book
University of Washington Athletics — Washington Women’s Basketball Celebrates 2016 Final Four Run, “It’s Crazy That 10 Years Have Gone By”
University of Washington Athletics — UW Athletics Announces Kelsey Plum Jersey Retirement & Forever 10 Celebration
University of Washington Athletics — Washington To Retire Kelsey Plum’s No. 10 Jersey During Purdue Matchup Saturday Afternoon
University of Washington Athletics — Kelsey Plum – Women’s Basketball
University of Washington Athletics — Player Bio: Giuliana Mendiola
University of Washington Athletics — Mendiola Named Honorable Mention All-America By WomensCollegeHoops.com
University of Washington Athletics — Post-Game Notes
University of Washington Athletics — Jamie Redd Named To Pac-12 All-Century Team
University of Washington Athletics — Davis Sets Scoring Record, Leads UW Past Colorado
University of Washington Athletics — Jazmine Davis – Women’s Basketball
University of Washington Athletics — 2011-2012 University of Washington Women’s Basketball Record Book
University of Washington Athletics — 2015-16 Women’s Basketball
University of Washington Athletics — Chantel Osahor – Women’s Basketball
University of Washington Athletics — Player Bio: Loree Payne
University of Washington Athletics — Rhonda Smith – University of Washington
University of Washington Athletics — UW’s Smith Becomes First Husky Drafted to WNBA
University of Washington Athletics — Yvette Cole – University of Washington Official Athletic Site