The 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began in November 2018 and concluded with the Final Fourtitle game at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, in April 2019. Practices officially began in September 2018.
October 3 – Long Island University announced that it would merge its two current athletic programs—the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, full members of the NEC, and the Division II LIU Post Pioneers—effective with the 2019–20 school year. The new program will compete under the LIU name with a new nickname and retain LIU Brooklyn's Division I and NEC memberships.[3] This change had minimal effect on the then-existing LIU Brooklyn women's basketball program, as LIU has announced that the unified basketball team will be based at the Brooklyn campus.[4]
February 19 – Less than 12 hours after leading Georgia to a 78–56 win over Ole Miss, Lady Bulldogs head coach Joni Taylor gave birth to a daughter. Top assistant Karen Lange was named as interim head coach for what was intended to be a maternity leave,[7] but Taylor returned to the bench for Georgia's next game on February 21.[8]
February 24 – Rutgers announced that head coach C. Vivian Stringer, who had missed the Scarlet Knights' game at Michigan on February 21, would take a leave for the rest of the regular season on medical advice. Stringer was initially expected to return after the Big Ten tournament, with assistant Tim Eatman serving as interim coach.[9] However, Rutgers announced on March 15 that Stringer would not return for a likely NCAA tournament run, again on medical advice. She ultimately returned for the 2019–20 season.[10]
February 27 – Georgia Tech placed head coach MaChelle Joseph on administrative leave, saying in a press release that it was a "pending personnel matter", named assistant Mark Simons as interim head coach, and made no further comment on the situation. The following day, Joseph's attorney charged that the Tech athletic department had taken the action as retaliation for raising Title IX concerns within the department.[11] Joseph would ultimately be fired (see "Coaching changes" section below).
March 26 – The Cincinnati Enquirer reported allegations that Northern Kentucky head coach Camryn Whitaker had engaged in systematic bullying and emotional abuse of players. The previous day, the team's only senior, Taryn Taugher, published an account of her experiences on the Odyssey web platform, claiming that the university knew about Whitaker's behavior but did not address it. The Enquirer received confirmation of Taugher's account in interviews with the parents of another player, plus social media posts from multiple teammates. The university told the Enquirer that it was investigating the claims, but Taugher said that she had yet to be contacted by any administrator.[12] On April 2, a former NKU player, Shar'Rae Davis, provided an Enquirer reporter with her own allegations, charging that Whitaker had used Davis' medical condition of ulcerative colitis to punish both her and other team members. In the interim, eight current Norse players published an open letter in Odyssey backing Whitaker.[13]
April 1 – North Carolina placed the entire women's coaching staff, including head coach Sylvia Hatchell, on paid administrative leave while an outside firm hired by the university reviewed the state of the program, due to what the university called "issues raised by student-athletes and others."[14] On April 4, The Washington Post reported that among the issues were allegations that Hatchell forced several players to play through serious injuries and made a number of racially offensive remarks.[15] Hatchell would resign following the review (see "Coaching changes" section below).
April 6 – Sabrina Ionescu announced in The Players' Tribune that she would return for her senior season at Oregon in 2019–20. Because she turned 22 in December 2019, she had been eligible to declare for the 2019 WNBA draft.[16]
Milestones and records
November 13 – Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer became the sixth college women's coach with 1,000 career wins following the Scarlet Knights' 73–44 pasting of Central Connecticut. She also became the first African-American college coach to reach the milestone.[17]
November 18 – Sabrina Ionescu recorded her 12th career triple-double in Oregon's 102–82 win over Buffalo.[18] Already the holder of the all-divisions NCAA women's record for career triple-doubles, Ionescu equaled the NCAA record for all players regardless of sex, previously held by former BYU men's player Kyle Collinsworth.[19]
December 17 and 20 – Chastadie Barrs of Lamar became the first Division I player of either sex ever to record triple-doubles in consecutive games twice in her career. First, Barrs recorded 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 steals in the Cardinals' 93–37 blowout of Division IIIHoward Payne.[20] She followed this with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals in the Cardinals' 82–66 win over Pacific.[21] Barrs had recorded consecutive triple-doubles early in the 2017–18 season.[22]
December 20 – Ionescu took sole possession of the aforementioned career triple-double record, recording her 13th with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in Oregon's 82–36 win over Air Force.[23]
December 21 – In Oregon's next game, a 115–69 blowout of UC Irvine, Ionescu recorded her 14th triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. This marked the second time in her career that she recorded triple-doubles in consecutive games, matching Barrs' accomplishment from the night before.[22][24] Like Barrs, Ionescu had recorded consecutive triple-doubles early in the 2017–18 season—with the second game in that streak also coming the night after the second of Barrs' corresponding streak.[22]
January 3 – Baylor defeated then top-ranked UConn 68–57. This was the Huskies' first regular-season loss since November 2014, and ended their NCAA-record regular-season winning streak at 126 games.[25]
January 9, 12, and 16 – Barrs accomplished three major triple-double milestones—becoming the first Division I player of either sex ever to record triple-doubles in consecutive games twice in a single season, the first to do so three times in a career, and the second player in any NCAA division to have recorded three consecutive triple-doubles. First, Barrs recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 steals in the Cardinals' 79–59 win over New Orleans.[26] She followed this with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Cardinals' 57–37 win over Central Arkansas.[27] Finally, Barrs had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in Lamar's 94–54 pasting of Southeastern Louisiana.[28] The only other player with three straight triple-doubles was Danielle Carson of Youngstown State, who accomplished this feat in the 1985–86 season.[22]
January 20 – Ionescu recorded her sixth triple-double of the season with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in Oregon's 93–60 win over Arizona.[29] This tied the all-time NCAA record for triple-doubles in a season, originally set in women's basketball by the aforementioned Danielle Carson in 1985–86 and equaled by Ionescu herself in 2017–18.[22] (In men's basketball, the aforementioned Kyle Collinsworth had the same total in both 2014–15 and 2015–16.[19])
February 2 – Shakyla Hill of Grambling State had 21 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists, and 10 steals in the Tigers' 77–57 win over Arkansas–Pine Bluff, making her the first Division I player of either sex to record two quadruple-doubles in a career. Hill had previously recorded one in January 2018.[30][a]
February 24 – Ionescu took sole possession of the all-time NCAA record for triple-doubles in a season, recording her seventh of the season with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in Oregon's 96–78 win over USC.[32]
February 27 – In Lamar's 97–49 blowout of Houston Baptist, Barrs collected 10 steals to give her the record for career steals in Division I women's basketball. She ended the game with 627, surpassing the previous record of 624 by Natalie White of Florida A&M (1991–95).[33]
March 3 – In the final regular-season game of her college career, California center Kristine Anigwe scored 32 points and claimed 30 rebounds in the Golden Bears' 80–58 win over Washington State. Anigwe's performance, which equaled the Pac-12 record for single-game rebounds, was the first Division I women's 30–30 game since Jennifer Butler accomplished the feat for UMass on December 28, 2002. Anigwe also joined former Oklahoma center Courtney Paris as the only women in Division I history to record 30 consecutive double-doubles.[34]
March 24 – In Oregon's 91–68 win over Indiana in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Ionescu became only the second player to record multiple triple-doubles in NCAA tournament play, collecting 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Ionescu, who had a triple-double in the first round of the 2018 tournament, joined former Stanford star Nicole Powell, who had consecutive triple-doubles in 2002, as the only Division I women's players with two triple-doubles in tournament play. Ionescu extended her all-divisions NCAA records for triple-doubles to 8 in a season and 18 in a career. At the time, it was speculated that Ionescu could be playing her last home game,[35] but she ultimately announced she would return to Oregon for her senior season.[16]
Notes
^ESPN incorrectly listed Hill as the "first player in NCAA history" to have recorded two quadruple-doubles.[30] Suzy Venet, who played at Division IIIMount Union from 1994 to 1998, recorded two quadruple-doubles in the 1996–97 season.[31]
Conference membership changes
Six schools joined new conferences for the 2018–19 season. Four schools switched between Division I conferences for the 2018–19 season. In addition, two schools moved from Division II starting this season. The former Division II schools are ineligible for NCAA-sponsored postseason play until completing their D-I transitions in 2022.
In addition to the schools changing conferences, the 2018–19 season was the last for Savannah State in D-I with its decision to reclassify all of its sports to D-II.[42]
The two new Division I entries for 2018 continued to play at existing on-campus facilities. California Baptist plays at the CBU Events Center, which opened in 2017, and North Alabama plays at Flowers Hall, which opened in 1972 and has been home to the women's program since it began play in 1975.
Arenas reopening
Four teams returned to newly renovated arenas, all of which were closed for the 2017–18 season.
Houston initially planned to reopen the renamed Fertitta Center (originally Hofheinz Pavilion) by the start of the 2018–19 season, but construction delays pushed the final reopening date to December 1, with Houston's men officially reopening the facility.[45] The women's first game after the reopening was on December 6.[46]
Villanova returned to the renamed Finneran Pavilion (originally duPont Pavilion and later The Pavilion).
Arenas closing
Temporary arenas
Houston began the 2018–19 season at Texas Southern's Health and Physical Education Arena, where the Cougars played most of their 2017–18 home games. The women played three home games at Texas Southern before moving into Fertitta Center.[47]
Robert Morris planned to open the new UPMC Events Center on the site of its former on-campus Sewall Center in January 2019, but the opening has now been delayed to that summer. Until the new arena opens, the Colonials will continue to use the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, a building in the school's North Athletic Complex that opened in September 2017 as part of the UPMC Events Center project.
An upset is a victory by an underdog team. In the context of NCAA Division I women's basketball, this generally constitutes an unranked team defeating a team currently ranked in the Top 25. This list will highlight those upsets of ranked teams by unranked teams as well as upsets of #1 teams. Rankings are from the AP poll.
Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes).
† 2019 WAC tournament winner As of March 23, 2019 Rankings from AP poll *California Baptist ineligible for WAC tournament as part of reclassification from Division II
The NCAA has never recognized a consensus All-America team in women's basketball. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Sporting News, and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.
Before the 2017–18 season, it was impossible for a consensus women's All-America team to be determined because the AP had been the only body that divided its women's selections into separate teams. The USBWA first named separate teams in 2017–18. The women's counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), continues the USBWA's former practice of selecting a single 10-member (plus ties) team. The NCAA does not recognize Sporting News as an All-America selector in women's basketball.
Kilbert was relieved of his head coaching duties on January 15 after 6½ seasons at UAPB. Assistant coach Evans was named interim head coach of the Lady Lions for the rest of the season.[100] The school hired Jacksonville assistant Dawn Brown as head coach on May 20.[101]
Arkansas State parted ways with Boyer on March 13 after 20 seasons, in which the Red Wolves went 333–287 overall.[102] On March 29, the school hired former Central Arkansas/Marshall head coach Daniel for the job.[103]
Roussell left Bucknell on April 3 after 7 seasons for the Richmond head coaching job.[104] The school went to the Division III ranks for its new hire, naming Scranton's Trevor Woodruff as their new coach on April 26.[105]
Gottlieb left Cal on June 12 to become an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the first women's college head coach ever to join an NBA staff.[106] The Golden Bears promoted their top assistant Smith to head coach on June 21.[107]
Guevara announced her retirement on July 12 after nearly 40 years in coaching and 12 seasons as CMU head coach, finishing as the winningest coach in Chippewas history with a 231–156 record. At the same time, CMU announced that Guevara's top assistant Oesterle was being promoted to head coach.[108]
Jackson's contract was not renewed on March 14, ending her 5-year tenure at Charleston with a 39–103 overall record.[109] The Cougars hired Lamar head coach Harmony for the same position on April 19.[110]
Killinger, who had been named interim head coach after the resignation of Heather Macy in October 2018, himself resigned 11 games into the season, citing health reasons. His top assistant Mealing was then named interim head coach of the Pirates for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[111] On March 28, ECU hired Hartford head coach McNeill.[112]
Eastern Kentucky announced on March 3 that Roberts would not be retained as head coach for next season. The Colonels went 122-194 overall during Roberts' 11-season tenure at her alma mater, including going winless in Ohio Valley Conference play this season.[113] EKU hired Louisville assistant Williams as Roberts' replacement on March 27.[114]
Fairleigh Dickinson parted ways with Cinella on March 25 after 12 seasons and a 126–234 overall record.[115] The Knights hired Fordham associate head coach Szumilo for the job on April 26.[116]
Gibson was fired on February 12 after 9½ seasons at Florida A&M. At the time of her firing, the Rattlers were 3–20 overall and 1–10 in MEAC conference play. Assistant coach Lynum served as the interim head coach for the rest of the season.[117] On August 21, FAMU removed the interim tag from Lyman and named him head coach.[118]
Drown's contract with Georgia Southern was not renewed on March 10, ending his 4-year tenure with the team. The Eagles went 32–86 overall, including a last-place finish in conference play this season.[119] On March 27, the school hired Howard from Division II Columbus State University for the head coaching position.[120]
Less than a month after placing Joseph on leave for a personnel matter, Georgia Tech fired her on March 26 after 16 seasons.[121] On April 9, Tech hired coaching veteran and ESPN analyst Fortner, whose most recent coaching job had been an 8-season stint at Auburn.[122]
McNeill left Hartord on March 28 after 3 seasons to take the East Carolina head coaching position.[112] The Hawks hired Arizona assistant Morgan Valley as her replacement on April 17.[123]
Hendrix left High Point on April 23 after 7 seasons for the head coaching job at Miami (Ohio).[124] Florida Gulf Coast assistant Chelsea Banbury was hired as her replacement on May 31.
Kilburn-Steveskey announced her resignation from Hofstra on March 26 after 13 seasons, leaving as the program's winningest head coach with 211 wins.[125] The school hired Pittsburgh assistant Danielle Santos Atkinson as her replacement on April 15.[126]
Gibbons, who had been suspended by Holy Cross since January 31, 2019 after an internal investigation into a personnel matter, was fired on March 28 after 34 seasons at the school. Assistant coach McInerney, who was named interim head coach of the Crusaders at the time of Gibbons' suspension, remained in that role for the 2019–20 season.[127] On April 14, 2020, the school hired New Hampshire coach Magarity for the full-time job.[128]
Smith's contract was not renewed on March 10, ending her 3-year tenure at Incarnate Word.[129] Former UL Monroe coach Jeff Dow was hired as her replacement on April 1.[130]
Harmony left Lamar on April 19 after 6 seasons for the head coaching job at the College of Charleston.[110] Kansas assistant Aqua Franklin was named her replacement on May 1.[131]
Brown was fired on March 8 after 7 seasons at his alma mater, in which the Bisons went 44–164 overall.[132] The school went to the Division III ranks for its new hire, naming Rhodes College head coach Sumski for the job on April 22, making her the first female head coach in the program's history.[133]
Del Preore was fired on March 20 after 4 seasons at LIU Brooklyn.[134] On April 23, Duke assistant Haynes was named as the first head coach of the unified LIU women's team.[135]
Dow announced on February 13 that he will not return next season, ending his 5-year tenure at ULM.[136] On April 9, the Warhawks hired Alabama assistant and former McNeese State coach Brooks Donald-Williams for the job.[137]
Kieger left her alma mater on April 3 after five seasons, the last three of which ended in NCAA tournament appearances, for the Penn State opening.[138] On April 10, the Golden Eagles hired Miami-Ohio head coach Duffy for the same position.[139]
Duffy left Miami on April 10 after 2 seasons for the head coaching job at Marquette.[139] The RedHawks hired High Point head coach Hendrix for the job on April 23.[124]
Harper left Missouri State on April 8 after 6 seasons to accept the head coaching job at her alma mater, Tennessee.[140] The school hired Michigan State assistant Agugua-Hamilton as her replacement on April 17, making her the first black female head coach for any sport at Missouri State.[141]
Hatchell resigned on April 18 after an external review confirmed reports that she had made racially insensitive comments and mismanaged players' medical issues. Hatchell, the only coach with national titles in the AIAW, NAIA, and NCAA, left Chapel Hill with 1,023 wins overall and 751 in 33 seasons with the Tar Heels, including the 1994 NCAA title.[142] The school tabbed Princeton's Courtney Banghart as their new head coach on April 29, officially announcing her the next day.[143]
Walseth and NDSU mutually agreed to part ways on March 11 after 5 seasons. The Bison went 40–106 overall in Walseth's tenure.[144] Kansas assistant Jory Collins was hired as her replacement on April 29.[145]
Washington and Penn State mutually agreed to part ways on March 9 after 12 seasons. The Lady Lions went 209–169 during Washington's tenure, but this season, in which they went 12–18 overall and 5–13 in conference play, was the 5th consecutive season in which the team did not make the NCAA tournament.[146] Penn State hired Kieger away from Marquette on April 3, with a formal announcement on April 5.[138]
Milton-Jones left on June 25 after two seasons to become an assistant at Syracuse. The Waves went 32–32 during her tenure, including a 22–12 record and WNIT appearance last season.[147] On July 3, Dowling, who had two past stints as a Waves assistant, was brought back as head coach after seven seasons at local D-III program Claremont–Mudd–Scripps.[148]
Portland parted ways with Sorensen on March 12 after 5 seasons and an overall record of 33–117.[149] The Pilots went to the Division III ranks, also staying in-state, for its new hire, naming George Fox head coach Michael Meek as the new coach on March 27.[150]
Banghart left after 12 seasons to accept the North Carolina job on April 29.[143] Carla Berube, the head coach at NCAA Division III's Tufts University, was hired as her replacement on May 30.
Rhode Island fired La-Force on March 12 after 5 seasons, in which the Rams went 46–102 overall.[151] The school hired Syracuse assistant Tammi Reiss as her replacement on April 18.[152]
Richmond announced on March 10 that Shafer will not return next season, ending his 14-year tenure at Richmond. Shafer leaves as the all-time winningest coach of the program with 223 wins, but never led the Spiders to the NCAA tournament during his tenure.[153] Bucknell head coach Roussell was hired as Richmond's newest head coach on April 3.[104]
Haigh, who had been on a leave of absence since November 13, announced his resignation on February 1 after 6½ seasons at St. Francis. Robinson-Fruchtl, the school's athletic director and former head coach of the Red Flash from 2007–2012, served as interim head coach during Haigh's initial leave, and continued in that role for the rest of the season following his resignation.[154] the school hired Marist assistant Keila Whittington as their new coach on April 24, 2019.[155]
Morris announced his retirement on March 18 after 25 seasons on the Samford coaching staff and 17 as head coach, leaving as the program's winningest coach with 279 wins.[156] The Bulldogs went to the Division II ranks for their next hire, naming Valdosta State head coach Kuhns as their new head coach on April 10.[157]
Warlick was fired on March 27 after 34 seasons at her alma mater—27 as an assistant under Pat Summitt and 7 as head coach. Despite a 172–67 overall record under Warlick, the Lady Vols failed to make the Sweet Sixteen in any of her last three seasons, and finished 7–9 in SEC play this season, their first sub-.500 finish ever in the conference.[158] Missouri State's Kellie Harper, who was a point guard during Tennessee's national championship three-peat from 1996 to 1998, was hired as her replacement on April 8.[140]
Hayes left Texas Southern on April 26 after 6 seasons to accept the head coaching job at UMBC.[159] Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who coached the Lady Tigers during the 2012–13 season, was hired as her replacement on April 30.[160]
Stern, who had been on administrative leave since December 13, announced his resignation from UMBC on February 22 after 16½ seasons. Assistant coach Casidee-Dewey, who served as interim head coach of the Retrievers during Stern's leave, continued in that role for the rest of the season.[161] After the season, the school hired Texas Southern's Johnetta Hayes as his replacement on April 26.[159]
Western Carolina parted ways with McCormick on March 28 after 4 seasons. Under McCormick, the Catamounts went 23–94 overall, including going winless in conference play this season.[162] After a near 2-month search, the school hired High Point assistant Heather Kearney as head coach on May 16.
The 61-year-old Legerski retired on April 24 after 16 seasons at Wyoming, leaving as the Cowgirls' winningest coach with 314 wins.[163] Wyoming's top assistant Mattinson was named the new head coach on May 7.[164]
Neal announced on March 10 that he was stepping down as Xavier head coach after 6 seasons, in which the Musketeers went 76–108 overall and 28–80 in Big East play.[165] On April 5, Michigan associate head coach Moore was named the new Xavier head coach.[166]