For the first time in nearly four years, Stanford lost a non-conference game to an unranked opponent, as Gonzaga outscored the Cardinal 96-78 with impeccable three-point shooting and 22-year backcourt connection.
Kaylynne and Kayleigh Truong combined for 15 points, 11 assists and four steals in the Zags’ historic win on Dec. 3, cementing themselves among an elite group of sibling duos taking the country by storm.
Here’s a look at the top 10 sibling pairs just over a month into the 2023-24 college basketball season:
Kailyn and Kaylee Truong (Gonzaga)
Gonzaga’s aforementioned historic win over Stanford is familiar territory for the Truong twins, who have developed a penchant for defying expectations and precedent since their high school days in suburban Texas. By their senior seasons, the Twins helped turn a historically downtrodden Jersey Village High team into Section 6A champions, and would later lead their ancestral nation Vietnam to a silver medal in 3×3 basketball at the Southeast Asian Games, the country’s highest finish ever.
These days in Spokane, both Kayleigh and Kaylynne are thriving in their breakout seasons, averaging 13.4 and 11.8 points per game, respectively, while dishing out more than half of the team’s total assists. Along with her Gonzaga teammates, who are the 15th best shooting team in America, Kailyn is shooting from deep at an impressive 43.1 percent while setting up her fellow elite shooters for an average of 6.4 assists per game. Meanwhile, Kylie was more adept at scoring from inside, and their combined success helped Gonzaga reach the top 25 while going on a four-game winning streak.
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Lior (Oklahoma State) and Yarden (Indiana) Garzon
Although separated by two years and more than 1,000 miles, these two dead-eyed Israeli sisters are looking forward to their best college basketball seasons yet. Lior, who first made the jump from Israel to the United States, played her first two years at Villanova, eventually earning a starting role in her sophomore season where she averaged more than 13 points per game and led the Wildcats to their highest win total since 2003. After the Transfer to Oklahoma State and adopting a crucial role as a backup last season, Leor started all eight games in 2023 — once again closing in on her 13 PPG average after a recent 24 outburst against Wyoming.
Meanwhile, Yarden continued to develop her game after a tremendous rookie campaign from the perimeter. Following her sister out, she committed to Indiana State and torched the nets around her newly adopted home in the Midwest, shooting under 46 percent from three and earning freshman All-Big Ten honors. Despite an early eight-point drop in three-point accuracy, Yarden still improved her scoring average to 11.4 and showed her offseason brilliance in other areas, attacking inside the arc with more consistency and adding an extra assist per game.
The sisters have remained very close throughout their careers, and while college basketball has pulled them to opposite sides in the United States, Lior and Yarden still enjoy the opportunity to play together as part of the Israeli national basketball team. Most recently, they participated in the FIBA Women’s European Basketball Championship hosted in Israel, where Yarden excelled with 11.3 points on 60% 3PT shooting.
Sarah (Indiana) and Amber (St. Thomas) Scalia
Sisters who have taken the Twin Cities by storm at different stages of their careers, Sarah currently stands as a top-15 second choice in Indiana after transferring from Minnesota while Amber has stayed local to lead St. Thomas through their ongoing move up the Division 1 ranks.
Sarah Scalia, a high-profile three-star recruit from Stillwater, Minnesota, chose to stay home and make the 20-minute trip to UM, where after three seasons she earned second-team All-Big Ten honors with 18 points per game and finished second to National level with 118 three-pointers. However, after three straight losing seasons at The Barn and a turbulent season, Sarah chose to join the elite Hoosier team in Bloomington. Sarah came off the bench most nights last season on an Indiana team that finished third in the AP poll, but she has become a key player and “the missing piece” for the Hoosiers, who have now won seven straight. Needing another big-time shooter to complement Mackenzie Holmes’ interior dominance, Sarah currently ranks 50th nationally in three-pointers per contest while maintaining a near-flawless 96 percent free throw clip.
Amber stayed in her backyard and enjoyed one of the most amazing sophomore jumps in all of America. Amber doubled her playing time after 30 minutes per contest, raising her scoring average from 4.7 to 16.1, hitting a near-even split between twos and threes while converting nearly five free throws per game at a rate of 87.5 percent per hour.
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Emma (Creighton) and Hannah (Colorado State) Ronsick
Despite heading in opposite directions from their hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and holding different positions on the court: a common trait has helped Emma and Hannah’s careers — three-point shooting. Combining nearly 45 percent shooting from the perimeter, the sisters have separated themselves as the leading scorers on a top-25 Creighton team and a Colorado State team that currently sits at 7-0.
After coming off the bench in all but three games last season, Hannah Roncic demonstrated her core abilities with a much-needed high-efficiency scoring punch (11.4 points per minute) while still contributing to the Rams’ defensive approach, dishing out steals for an average 1.5 pieces. Hannah attempts nearly two-thirds of her shots from the perimeter, hitting an impressive 44.1 percent, but exploiting overzealous defenses at the rim is where she truly shines, as she ranks second nationally with an 80 percent conversion rate.
In Omaha, Sister Emma appears to have become a fully realized offensive force after four years in coach Jim Flannery’s high-octane system, leading the Blue Jays with 18.3 points per game and narrowly losing by the club’s vaunted 50-40-90 mark. Through nine matches this year. Emma has an impressively balanced scoring profile, scoring consistently and efficiently from all three levels of the court, torching defenders with dominant drives in the post and finding the free throw line more than four times a contest, shooting at 87 percent.
Macy and Maddie Warren (Utah Tech)
Another pair of players leading a recent Division I entrant, twins Macie and Maddie have helped spark a remarkable turnaround at Utah Tech following a 6-19 freshman campaign. Despite losing Maddie to injury last season, the Trail Blazers have improved significantly to 17-12, and the Sisters’ return to the backcourt this year has led to an impressive 4-1 start.
As you would expect from a pair of twins, Macie and Maddie achieved their lofty offensive outputs with very similar statistical profiles, averaging around 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists – Macie has a clear advantage in efficiency, however, he is a better shooter than 55 percent from the field and 47 percent from the perimeter. Massey, Maddie and their Utah State teammates have a chance to pull off historic upset victories next week, as they host Oregon and Oklahoma State in the Trailblazer Classic.
Jaylen and Briley Glenn (Kansas State)
A pair of Kansas City sisters who chose to stay close to home, Jaylen and Brielle both earned starting roles for a rolling 9-1 Kansas State team. The sisters found playing time almost immediately after arriving in Manhattan, where they combined to start 57 contests in their first year, but it was Jaylen who enjoyed the biggest breakthrough in year two, as she went on to score 11.3 points per game and better than 36 percent from distance. loud voice.
Briley’s best statistical stretch came in her first 10 games of 2023 despite seeing her miss playing time, as she hit nearly 54 percent of her attempts from the field and notched 1.3 steals per game despite playing just 15 minutes a contest. Jaelyn logged 38 minutes in the Wildcats’ impressive neutral win over No. 18 North Carolina, and the sisters played a crucial role in K-State’s rise to No. 12 in the latest AP poll.
When it comes to women’s college basketball, there are many standout players and teams. However, some of the most impressive talent comes in the form of sibling duos who not only excel individually but also play incredibly well together on the court. These sis-stars bring a dynamic level of chemistry and skill to their respective teams, making them a force to be reckoned with. From dominating scoring duos to lockdown defensive pairs, these top 6 sibling duos in women’s college basketball are a sight to behold and are sure to leave a lasting impact on the game.