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Meet Syracuse's Dyaisha Fair, the best scorer in women's college basketball not named Caitlin Clark
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- Meet Syracuse's Dyaisha Fair, the best scorer in women's college basketball not named Caitlin Clark
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Iowa star Caitlin Clark has dominated the headlines on her journey to becoming the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer , but another hooper quietly climbed the same list this season.
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Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair is the third all-time leading scorer in women's college basketball history after surpassing Kelsey Mitchell (3,402, Ohio State) and Jackie Stiles (3,393, Mississippi State) on March 25.
Fair scored her 3,403rd career point with a free throw in the fourth quarter against UConn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament .
Fair ends her college career only trailing Washington alum Kelsey Plum (3,527) and Clark (3,771 and counting) on the NCAA women's basketball all-time scoring list.
"She's different. She's special. She's one of the best players to ever play the game," ACC Coach of the Year Felisha Legette-Jack told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle , part of the USA TODAY Network, in January when Fair eclipsed 3,000 career points.
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Here's everything to know about the Syracuse star, who has quietly climbed the all-time scoring list in Clark's shadow:
Who is Dyaisha Fair?
Fair – a Rochester native who was named All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year her senior season at Edison Career & Technology High School – spent the first three seasons of her collegiate career at the University at Buffalo from 2019-2022. She earned MAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2020 and was named first-team All-MAC and to the MAC all-defensive team her sophomore year. She averaged 23.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals in her three seasons at Buffalo.
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She transferred to Syracuse for her senior year in 2022-23, where she was named to the All-ACC First Team, the All-Defensive Team and led the ACC in steals (79). Fair was granted an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and returned to Syracuse in 2023-24 for her fifth and final year.
She averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game in the regular season this year. Fair has knocked down 107 3-pointers this season , trailing only Clark (173), and was named to the 2024 All-ACC First Team.
MaSyracuse Orange guard Dyaisha Fair brings the ball up court in the first against the Florida State Seminoles.
How many career points has Dyaisha Fair scored?
Fair finished her college career with 3,403 points in 154 career games after scoring 20 vs. Connecticut in the second round of the NCAA women's tournament on Saturday.
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The Huskies won 72-64 and ended the Orange's season. Fair was visibly emotional in her finale, crying and covering her face with her jersey.
"Coming from Rochester, its not the easiest place to get out of. To start from there and be able to prove everyone that doubted me has made me realize over time that there's always light on the always side," an emotional Fair, 22, said in February. "That no matter what if you keep working, you will reach it."
What is Dyaisha Fair's highest-scoring game?
Fair dropped a career-high 40-points in Buffalo's 82-66 win over Bowling Green on Jan. 5, 2022. She shot 14-for-22 from the field and 6-for-10 from three. She also recorded four assists, three rebounds and three steals in the win.
Contributing: Scooby Axson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Syracuse's Dyaisha Fair moves to third on NCAA women's scoring list
