Auburn women’s basketball: Unique Thompson powers Tigers to 3-0 start

The Auburn women’s basketball team is off to a 3-0 start thanks to the red-hot streak Unique Thompson is on to kick off the 2020-21 regular season.

You’d think that times were tough on the Plains in 2020 if you only judged Auburn athletics based on the results of the men’s basketball and football teams. If you expand your view further to include the Auburn women’s basketball team, though, you’d realize that there is a Tigers team with legitimate hopes of bringing home a national championship in 2021.

Terri Williams-Flournoy’s squad is 3-0 this season after taking down Gardner-Webb 97-61 at home on Monday. The contest was the final one of a three-game homestand to open up the 2020-21 schedule.

Unique Thompson was once again dominant, recording 21 points and 12 rebounds–good for her 44th career double-double and second in as many games. Her play this season has been so dominant that she has garnered attention for the Wooden Award watch list:

"Auburn senior Unique Thompson added another accolade to her growing list when she was named to the 2021 Wooden Award Watch List, it was announced Tuesday.The watch list for the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s is chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts. A total of 30 players nationwide were named to the watch list as early front-runners for the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Most Outstanding Player Award.Thompson is Auburn’s leading scorer and rebounder through two games this season, averaging 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. She also held that title last season with 16.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, her second straight season to average a double-double. She is Auburn’s all-time leader in double-doubles with 43.Already this year, Thompson has been named to the preseason All-SEC First Team by both the league’s coaches and media, and she earned a spot on the Katrina McClain Award watch list. Last season, Thompson was named to the All-SEC First Team and was an honorable mention All-American."

While the early portion of the schedule has been a relative cakewalk besides their narrow victory over Samford this past Saturday, Auburn’s women’s basketball team may provide Tigers fans with the best chance of building something special this season.

Of course, Auburn football has already fallen out of consideration for the College Football Playoff while Auburn men’s basketball self-imposed a postseason ban for 2021’s March Madness.

That said, Thompson and the lady Tigers should provide a “unique” way for Auburn’s faithful to still cheer on a winner this year.

War Eagle!