WNBA rookie Courtney Paris will write for SI.com periodically on her first season as a pro.
ST. LOUIS -- For the last four years, Oklahoma has hitched its wagon to Courtney Paris, and for the last four years, she has risen to the challenge. She owns college basketball's longest double-double streak and is the women's game's first four-time All-American. She upped the ante too, promising to refund Oklahoma some $64,000 in scholarship money if she failed to deliver on her promise of bringing a national championship to Norman.
The women's NCAA tournament has already provided us with plenty of entertaining moments. From Ball State's first-round upset of Tennessee to Stanford star Jayne Appel's dominating performance in the regional finals. With the Final Four approaching, there are still opportunities for more. Here are four reasons you shouldn't miss the action in St. Louis.
The women's NCAA tournament got some unexpected spice at Oklahoma's Senior Night on March 4. That's when Courtney Paris, the Sooners' 6' 4" senior superstar, took the microphone and announced to the assembled crowd of 9,310 and her startled teammates that Oklahoma would win the national title this year, guaranteed, or she'd pay back her scholarship, worth about $64,000. "I stand by what I said," says Paris, the alltime rebounding (1,970) and double doubles (125) leader in Division I. "Winning a national title is what I came here to do, and I believe we have a chance to do it."
The first wave of conference tournaments is behind us. Here's what we know so far:
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Courtney Paris scored a season-high 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked six shots to lead No. 3 Oklahoma to a 76-59 victory over Kansas in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
Bill Veeck had nothing on Courtney Paris. The man who sent a midget to the plate and signed off on Disco Demolition night in Chicago would stand up and cheer -- were he not deceased -- the promotional instincts of Oklahoma's wide-bodied, 6-foot-4 Superwoman.
A shorter version of this Q&A appeared in SI's college preview magazine, which hit newstands this week.
You can tell a lot about a society from its iconic arcs. The ancient Romans built an empire on the curved supports of their bridges, aqueducts and architecture. The reign of Napoléon in Europe is commemorated by the majestic Arc de Triomphe in Paris. And modern-day America has given the world two symbols that are recognized in every corner of the planet: the golden arches of McDonald's and basketball's three-point arc. (Talk about a civilized society!)
The NCAA tournament is nearly four months away, but thanks to those early season tournaments, we won't have to wait long for some pretty intriguing matchups. In fact, we've already seen some. North Carolina knocked off Arizona State on Sunday. Maryland got the better of Courtney Paris and Oklahoma. LSU and Michigan State will meet this week in the WNIT.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Oklahoma center Courtney Paris came awfully close to seeing her long-running streak of double-doubles come to an end. She didn't notice. Paris was more worried about watching her season come to a close. With their super sophomore having a rough time in the paint, though, the Sooners found another way to hold off a gutsy Southeast Missouri State team for a 74-60 win in the opening round of the NCAA tournament at the Erwin Center.
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