ESPN Women's NCAA Tournament 2008

TAMPA, Fla. -- They first saw each other at an AAU tournament in Florida when they were 13. Candace Parker was the graceful, tall girl who even then could do it all on court. Candice Wiggins had enough pep to fuel an ocean liner.

"I remember being like, just, wow," Wiggins said of seeing Parker for the first time. Meanwhile, Parker recalled of Wiggins, "She was just a ball of energy. We were all sitting there in amazement watching her play."

They call each other "Ace" and "Ice" for the difference in the way their first names are spelled. No one would argue that Parker, who is essentially certain to be the first player taken in Wednesday's WNBA draft, "aces" every aspect of basketball.

"There's nobody in the game like her," said Wiggins, who will be picked in the draft soon after Parker.

However, there is nothing "icy" about Wiggins, whose radiant smile and joyful emotions have captivated viewers and turned them into fans, if they weren't already. And that's the great thing about this championship game (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday) between Tennessee and Stanford: no matter who the victor is, women's basketball wins.

Because of "Ace" vs. "Ice." Candace Parker, the 6-foot-4 forward from Chicago. Candice Wiggins, the 5-11 guard from San Diego. Both lead their teams in scoring. Parker has averaged 21.4 points this season, 22.2 in the NCAA tournament. Wiggins is at 20.3 on the season and 27.4 in the NCAA tournament.

Both loom large as the present and the future of women's hoops.

"I think it will be great for television -- very appealing for just the average fan and maybe someone who hadn't really watched women's basketball," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.

Of course, this is a matchup of historically strong programs with legendary coaches in Summitt and Tara VanDerveer. But it's also a chance to see two first-team All-Americans who have defined their respective teams in their time at those schools. It is no slight to their teammates, but simply a statement on how much of a load they've carried, to say that without "Ace" and "Ice," neither squad would be here.

In terms of having two iconic stars of their programs meeting up in the title game, there hasn't been anything else quite like this in NCAA women's basketball history except in 1993. That's when Texas Tech's Sheryl Swoopes and Ohio State's Katie Smith faced off for the title.

And in that case, it wasn't quite the same because Smith was just a freshman then. She had a terrific performance in that final, scoring 28 points. But Swoopes, a senior, had an even better one -- the best in title-game history, in fact -- with 47 points.

Swoopes and Smith -- with Olympic gold medals and pro championships to their credit in the 15 years since that NCAA final in Atlanta -- both more than lived up to all their predicted potential. And they are still playing.

It seems very likely that we will see similar careers from Parker and Wiggins, too.

Parker was the Final Four's most outstanding player last season, as Tennessee won the national championship. She's playing in this Final Four despite dealing with a sore shoulder after dislocating it twice a week ago. She had to redshirt what would have been her freshman year in 2005, so she does have a year of eligibility left. But Parker already has decided she is ready to move on to the pro game.

Wiggins has been to the Final Four the past three years, but only because she was picked for what previously was called the Kodak All-America team, now sponsored by State Farm, which is unveiled the day before the national semifinals.

Wiggins was on that team again this year -- but she got that honor and the Wade Trophy on Saturday with her Stanford team here to celebrate with her.

"I've been on the outside looking it," Wiggins said of her previous Final Four experiences. "In terms of, I arrive at the airport, and you see four teams' names all over. This year, it was like, 'I'm on the inside looking out.' It's appreciating all the support, all the fans, signing the extra autograph for people. Just really having fun on the court."

It's not unfair to say Wiggins usually does look as if she's enjoying herself more while playing than Parker does. Parker looks more like "Ice" -- very businesslike, even scowling. It usually shows on Parker's face when she's feeling disdain for officials' calls or irritation at herself when she thinks she has made a mistake.

Wiggins said she thinks Parker has a different personality on the court than off it.

"I think a lot of people just see Candace playing basketball," Wiggins said. "But I know her. She's really silly and just like all of us, in terms of she just wants to have fun. I think the basketball Candace is different than the off-the-court Candace."

Ace and Ice both went through multiple interviews -- they probably felt as though they were never going to end -- Monday. And in terms of intelligence, being well-spoken, thoughtful, patient, complimentary of their teammates and each other … really, they were the same.

Swoopes and Smith have been not just great players but fantastic spokeswomen for the sport. They understand that women's basketball still needs to be "sold," that media and fans have the expectation that the players will be approachable and make eye contact, that they have a key role in something that is ultimately much bigger than they are.

Ace and Ice will play a title game Tuesday, will be drafted into the WNBA on Wednesday, and should have many years ahead of them to make an impact on women's basketball and women's athletics overall.

"I've sat back and really looked at the effect our 2004 class coming out of high school has had," Parker said. "You look at [LSU's] Sylvia Fowles, Candice Wiggins, [Rutgers'] Matee Ajavon, [Georgia's] Tasha Humphrey -- the impact we've had on the college level and the impact we'll have on the WNBA. It's about raising the bar of women's basketball every year. I'm excited about the competition we're going to have over the next 10-12 years of our lives because it's going to grow the sport."

And as for Ace and Ice specifically … Parker said, "I'm really excited that both our teams made the championship. I think this is a storybook ending."

Mechelle Voepel of The Kansas City Star is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. She can be reached at mvoepel123@yahoo.com.