March 20 typically signals the first day of spring, but this year it also brought Sacramento native Jordan Ligons-Robinson home to promote her first book, “Queens Court,” at Underground Books.

“I was so excited for this event because it was such a homecoming for me,” Ligons-Robinson said. “I knew my high school basketball coach was coming, my AP English teachers, even my kindergarten teacher.”

The evening met all of her expectations. Ligons-Robinson’s book tells the history of women’s basketball, and her book-signing event was a look back at her life growing up in Sacramento.

“With those important people and my family in the audience, it felt like a warm hug and a reminder of my journey,” Ligons-Robinson said. “I was overwhelmed by the support.”

As she engaged and entertained the audience, Ligons-Robinson could hardly believe the moment. If there is such a thing as a pinch-me moment, this was one for her.

“Sitting up front and reading an essay that I had written for the book, and looking out and seeing everyone holding their copy was such a surreal moment,” Ligons-Robinson shared. “This thing that was first a Google Doc is now a physical book people can flip through and purchase. It’s unbelievable. I had so much fun sharing “Queens Court” with Sacramento women’s basketball fans.”

While this was a celebration of history, Ligons-Robinson and her guests couldn’t help but talk about the near future. Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center hosts six women’s NCAA Tournament games — the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 — from Friday-Monday, March 27-30.

“I love that Sacramento will be hosting a regional for the NCAA Tournament,” Ligons-Robinson said. “There are plenty of women’s basketball fans who have been dying to watch hoops in their backyard since the Sacramento Monarchs.”

The Monarchs were a WNBA franchise from 1997-2009, winning the title in 2005.

Ligons-Robinson believes the Sacramento Regional is the tournament’s best. Between schools like UCLA, South Carolina, Duke, and LSU, there should be some good, competitive basketball on display. 

“I predict it’ll go all chalk for the Final Four,” Ligons-Robinson said. “UConn, South Carolina, Texas, and UCLA. In the national championship game, I have UConn beating Texas. They’re unstoppable this season; I don’t think anyone can beat them.”

UConn, led by Sarah Strong, who averages a team-high 18.4 points, and Azzi Fudd with 17.8, is 36-0. If the Huskies win it all this year, they will be the first team since 2016 to go undefeated.

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