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Important update on 1476AMLeger-Walker becomes first Kiwi to win NCAA women's basketball crown
Sport Nation • April 6th, 2026 9:57 am
Charlisse Leger-Walker | Photo: Basketball NZ
Charlisse Leger-Walker has claimed a slice of Kiwi sporting history.
On Monday (NZ time), the prodigious point guard became the first New Zealander to ever win the NCAA women's basketball national championship, as her UCLA Bruins crushed the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 in the final.
Leger-Walker contributed to a well-rounded scoring performance from her team, adding 10 points on 4/12 shooting - including a pair of three-pointers - to go alongside two assists, as UCLA won its first ever women's title.
The Tall Ferns star is just the second New Zealander to lift an NCAA basketball crown, after Jack Salt achieved that feat with Virginia in the men's tournament back in 2019.
The 24-year-old is set to enter the WNBA Draft later this month, having fully recovered from the ACL tear that cut her first season with the Bruins short and forced her to park her professional ambitions.
The Hamiltonian had previously starred for Washington State, transferring to the Californian heavyweights to improve her draft prospects.
On Tuesday, Tall Black Oscar Goodman will attempt to make it a double for the Kiwis, as his Michigan Wolverines face off with the Connecticut Huskies.
