ESPN REPORT: Danielle Adams, the iconic Texas A&M basketball star, has officially been named the Greatest of All Time in women’s college basketball—edging out legends like UConn’s Diana Taurasi, USC’s Cheryl Miller, and Kentucky’s Lynette Woodard for the top honor.

In a stunning and long-anticipated declaration, ESPN has officially named Danielle Adams—the 6-foot-1 powerhouse who led Texas A&M to its first national championship in 2011—as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in women’s college basketball. The announcement, part of ESPN’s yearlong “GOAT: Women’s Hoops Edition” project, places Adams above a glittering pantheon of legends including UConn icon Diana Taurasi, USC trailblazer Cheryl Miller, and Kentucky scoring queen Lynette Woodard.

For Adams, the honor is more than just an individual accolade—it is a cultural reckoning and a long-overdue acknowledgment of dominance, clutch brilliance, and a legacy forged not just in stat sheets but in indelible moments that changed the course of women’s basketball history.

“It’s surreal,” Adams told ESPN’s Holly Rowe in an exclusive interview. “To be mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest to ever play this game is an honor I never imagined. But I also know I earned it. Every rebound, every shot, every minute—it was all part of something bigger.”

Danielle Adams’ story is one of perseverance, power, and pioneering excellence. A Kansas City native who began her collegiate career at Jefferson College in Missouri before transferring to Texas A&M, Adams rewrote the script for what a dominant post player could be.

By the time she arrived in College Station in 2009, she was already a force. But under head coach Gary Blair, she became a legend.

“She wasn’t just a scorer—she was unstoppable,” said Blair, who coached Adams during her two years at Texas A&M. “She had a guard’s touch, a center’s strength, and a champion’s heart. She transformed our program, and she changed the game.”

In her two seasons with the Aggies, Adams averaged 19.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, but it was her transcendent 2011 NCAA Tournament run that cemented her place in history. Facing a gauntlet of perennial powers—Baylor, Stanford, and Notre Dame—Adams dominated at every turn. Her 30-point performance in the national championship game against Notre Dame remains one of the greatest title-game showings in history.

“Pressure never fazed her,” said ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo. “She didn’t just rise to the moment—she owned the moment.”

ESPN’s GOAT committee, made up of former players, coaches, analysts, and journalists, spent over a year evaluating candidates based on statistical dominance, team impact, postseason performance, and cultural influence. Adams’ case grew stronger with each layer of analysis.

While Diana Taurasi is widely celebrated for her three national championships and ice-cold competitiveness, and Cheryl Miller for her staggering numbers and pioneering dominance in the 1980s, it was Adams’ all-around excellence—and her singular impact on a non-traditional power—that ultimately tipped the scales.

“She didn’t come from a blue blood program,” said analyst LaChina Robinson. “She made Texas A&M a national power. That kind of transformative greatness is rare.”

Still, the choice sparked spirited debate.

On social media, Taurasi loyalists cited her sustained excellence and iconic status as the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer. Miller supporters pointed to her revolutionary impact on the women’s game before professional leagues even existed. And Kentucky fans made passionate cases for Lynette Woodard, the game’s all-time leading scorer with over 3,600 points—many scored before the NCAA officially sponsored women’s hoops.

But ESPN stood by the selection.

“When we talk about GOATs, it’s not just stats—it’s moments, magnitude, and meaning,” said committee chair Michael Wilbon. “Danielle Adams had all three in spades.”

Part of what makes Adams’ GOAT status so significant is how she broke molds.

In an era increasingly obsessed with sleek, fast-paced perimeter play, Adams thrived as an interior juggernaut—using footwork, finesse, and a feathery jump shot to dominate defenders of all sizes. She didn’t fit the traditional look of a basketball superstar—and that was precisely the point.

“She made it OK for bigger-bodied women to be seen as beautiful athletes,” said writer Jemele Hill. “She gave so many young girls permission to be powerful, to take up space, to dominate.”

That cultural impact rippled well beyond the hardwood. In the years since her college triumphs, Adams has become a sought-after speaker, advocate for body positivity, and mentor to aspiring athletes across the country.

“She’s proof that you don’t have to fit a box to be great,” said current South Carolina star and reigning Naismith Player of the Year A’ja Wilson. “You just have to be yourself—and go hard.”

Though her WNBA career was shorter than some expected—plagued by injuries and inconsistent opportunities—Adams left her mark at the next level as well. She was drafted by the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2011 and earned WNBA All-Rookie honors that year.

More importantly, she remained a beacon in women’s basketball circles, returning to Texas A&M regularly to mentor players, and serving in coaching and player development roles that allowed her to stay close to the game she helped redefine.

“She never stopped pouring into others,” said Blair. “She always wanted to leave the game better than she found it.”

Adams also became a vocal proponent of NIL reform, advocating for athletes—especially women—to fully benefit from their impact and platform.

“She was ahead of her time in every way,” said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. “Now the rest of the world is finally catching up.”

Adams’ selection as the GOAT arrives at a watershed moment for women’s sports. College basketball is booming, with record TV ratings, sold-out Final Fours, and a rising tide of superstars from Caitlin Clark to JuJu Watkins electrifying new audiences. For ESPN, naming a GOAT wasn’t just about the past—it was about setting the standard for the future.

“Danielle Adams represents everything this new era stands for—skill, story, strength, and significance,” said ESPN’s Elle Duncan during the live reveal. “She’s not just a champion—she’s a symbol of where this game is headed.”

For Adams, the moment is humbling—but not paralyzing.

“There are amazing players coming up right now,” she said. “They’re breaking records, moving the game forward, and doing it with style and grace. I’m just honored to be part of the foundation they’re building on.”

Still, as the footage rolls of her championship-clinching shot in 2011—the net twirling as she raises her arms to the rafters—it’s clear that her story will always be more than just a chapter. It’s a cornerstone.

In celebration of the announcement, Texas A&M plans to unveil a bronze statue of Adams outside Reed Arena this fall—the first of its kind honoring a female athlete in Aggie history. The university will also establish the Danielle Adams Excellence Fund, supporting scholarships for women in athletics and leadership programs.

“It’s not just about honoring what she did,” said Texas A&M President Mark Welsh. “It’s about what she represents.”

Back in Kansas City, Adams’ high school coach Sheila Hicks wept as she watched the announcement live.

“She always had that fire,” Hicks said. “But what set her apart was her heart. She never played for herself. She played for her team, her school, her family—and now, the world sees that.”

In sports, greatness is often measured in numbers. Championships. Points. Rebounds. But true GOATs are defined by something deeper—a moment, a movement, a memory that endures.

Danielle Adams gave women’s basketball all three. She lifted a program, inspired a generation, and redefined what greatness looks like. And now, she wears the crown—not just as a player, but as a trailblazer.

As ESPN’s panel unanimously agreed in the final vote: Danielle Adams didn’t just play the game. She changed it.

And that, in the end, is what makes a GOAT.