Throughout South Florida basketball history, few players leave a mark as strong as the ones that define their teams. 

Graduate Guard Sammie Puisis might be one of them.

Puisis leads the women’s basketball team in points, three-point percentage and free throw percentage, leading the Bulls to the third-best record in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). 

If the Bulls win the conference tournament, is Puisis’ legacy secured as the highest peak in USF women’s basketball history or does one former Bull’s legacy still stand above her? 

Former USF guard Courtney Williams’ four-year tenure in the green and gold was defined by the breaking of Bulls records and multiple trips to the NCAA tournament. 

Now, as the Bulls stand at 20-10 and are ranked third in the AAC, their only path to March Madness is likely through the AAC title.

Puisis has won a conference title before in 2023, something that Williams was never able to accomplish. 

Point 1: Courtney Williams’ 2015-16 season was the greatest peak in USF women’s basketball history

In the final moments of the first round of the 2015-16 NCAA tournament, USF held onto a 48-45 victory against No. 11 Colorado State. Courtney Williams scored 31 points in the game, a whopping 64% of the Bulls’ offensive output. 

This performance was what was expected from Williams during her time as a Bull and it’s why she leads USF in more than five all-time records, including points, points per game and field goals. 

Throughout the Bulls season, in which they finished 21-9, Williams averaged 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds a game.

Williams’ 22.4 points still holds up as the highest PPG average in Bulls history over nine years later. 

In fact, Williams averaged more than 20 points in two separate seasons throughout her career. 

Meanwhile Puisis, a pure scorer, has scored more than 20 points just 15 times in her Bulls career. 

On defense, Williams would routinely pick up the opposing team’s best guard, averaging 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks a game while doing it. 

The pure statistical domination that Williams’ game led to simply has not been recreated since her departure. Not by Puisis, not by anybody. 

William’s skills translated into being picked eighth in the WNBA draft. Puisis, as of now, is projected to go 16th. 

Still, if Puisis and the Bulls win the AAC tournament, they would have done something that Williams never did.

Yet, it wasn’t for lack of trying. 

Williams made it to the conference championship in her final two years at USF.

Related: USF’s Jose Fernandez on March Madness hopes: ‘Do what we need to do’ 

The Bulls simply had the misfortune of running into a UConn Huskies team that would dominate college basketball, winning 111 games in a row and four straight NCAA titles.

Williams’ legacy has been secured in the ethos of Bulls basketball since her departure for the WNBA. A banner featuring Williams’ likeness still hangs from the side of the Yuengling Center.

Bulls women’s basketball still features her highlights in hype videos, even almost a decade after her graduation. 

The legacy Williams left culminated in her spot in the USF Athletics Hall of Fame, as well as the retirement of her jersey. Odds are, a career like Williams’ won’t be seen for a while longer in South Florida. 

Point 2: If the Bulls win the AAC tournament, Sammie Puisis’ 2024-25 season is the greatest peak in USF women’s basketball history

William’s 2015-16 season has Puisis’ current run beat in most statistical categories. Points, assists and rebounds all favor the former Bull.

Puisis, while not a jack of all trades, is surely a master of one – three-point shooting.

Puisis’ offensive game is built around her long-range shot, with 57% of her attempts this season coming from beyond the arc. 

What makes her an elite offensive weapon is that she’s an excellent shooter, boasting a 41% three-point percentage this year. The mark is second in the conference, and top 50 in all of the country.

Puisis has also made 95 three-pointers this season, ranking her fifth in all of NCAA Division I women’s basketball.

Her shooting is a make-or-break factor for USF’s offense. In the Bulls’ 10 losses this season, she’s shooting 36% from deep. In wins, the number jumps to 44%.

Unlike Williams, Puisis hasn’t received as much help on the offensive end. In 2015-16, Williams had two other teammates average at least 10 points per game. 

She also had the benefit of playing with All-AAC Third-Team forward Alisia Jenkins, who averaged a double-double for the season.

This year, Puisis is USF’s only double-digit scorer. Many of her teammates are enduring down scoring years, including senior forward Romi Levy. 

Related: USF women’s basketball offense sluggish at midseason

Despite the lack of offensive support, Puisis has helped lead the Bulls to 20 wins this season. A victory over Tulane on Thursday would match the regular season win total by William’s 2015-16 team.

There’s no denying that Puisis’ overall skill set doesn’t match Williams’. However, her transcendent shooting talent has been the driving factor in the Bulls success. 

If Puisis can lead USF to an AAC title with less help than Williams had, her season deserves to be remembered as the best in program history.