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Best Woman Athlete by Birth State

 Iowa: Denise Long

Iowa: Denise Long

Long scored 111 points in one game and averaged an eye-popping 62.8 points while leading Union-Whitten High to the state title in 1968. She poured in 218 points during her team's three-game championship run, including a playoff record 93 against Bennett. One year later, the San Francisco Warriors made her the first female ever selected in the NBA draft.

Worthy of consideration: Janet Guthrie, Shawn Johnson, Lynne Lorenzen and Doreen Wilbur.


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