Women's Final Four: The Tampa Bay Area Connection

Three players from the Tampa Bay area have participated in the Women's Final Four:

• Necole Tunsil, IowaTunsil, from Lakewood High School, was a junior starter on the 1992-93 Hawkeyes, who defeated No. 1-seeded Tennessee in the region final to reach the program's first Final Four. She had 10 points and six rebounds in the All-Big Ten national semifinal, when Iowa lost to Ohio State 73-72 in overtime. Tunsil hoped to return to the Final Four, but the Hawkeyes were beaten by Alabama in the second round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament, ending her collegiate career.

• Kiana Robinson, ConnecticutThe 5-foot-8 guard from Brandon High did not play in either of UConn's Final Four games in 2004, when the Huskies won the national title. Robinson, a freshman, transferred from UConn shortly after the season and landed at Cumberland University, an NAIA school in Lebanon, Tenn. Robinson helped Cumberland to the NAIA championship game last season, losing to Lambuth 63-50. Robinson was named to the All-NAIA Tournament first team.

• Dominique Redding, Tennessee Redding, from Clearwater High, made three Final Four appearances for the Lady Vols (2004, 2005, 2007) and never had extended playing time. But last season, in Tennessee's national championship game win against Rutgers, Redding entered with 47 seconds remaining. She had the distinction of holding onto the ball and dribbling the time away as the clock expired. Redding, playing her final college game, tossed the ball high in the air as confetti fell down around all the players.

THE FLORIDA CONNECTION

Overall, 18 players from Florida high schools have participated in the Women's Final Four (the NCAA first sanctioned the event in 1982):

NameTeamYear(s)HometownPam MarrTennessee1984, '86Winter ParkLisa IngramNE Louisiana1985Fort LauderdaleBridgette GordonTennessee1986-89DeLandKaren GallowayAuburn1988Lake WalesC.C. HaydenAuburn1990DeLandTina ToneyVirginia1990-91JacksonvilleNecole TunsilIowa1993St. PetersburgPriya GilmoreLouisiana Tech1998-99JacksonvilleKristen GillespieN.C. State1998TallahasseeMichelle SnowTennessee1999, 2002PensacolaLe'Tania SevereNotre Dame2001Fort LauderdaleKiana RobinsonConnecticut2004BrandonFlorence WilliamsLSU2004-06MiamiScholanda HostonLSU2004-06MiamiDominique ReddingTennessee2004-05, '07ClearwaterErica WhiteLSU2005-07JacksonvilleSylvia FowlesLSU2005-07MiamiErlana LarkinsNorth Carolina2006-07Riviera BeachSource: NCAA