Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball

Colorado Buffaloess
women's basketball
2024–25 Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Colorado Boulder
First season1975; 50 years ago (1975)
Head coachJR Payne (9th season)
ConferenceBig 12
LocationBoulder, Colorado
ArenaCU Events Center
(capacity: 11,064)
NicknameBuffaloes
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1993, 1995, 2002
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1993, 1994, 1995 , 1997, 2002, 2003, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament second round
1996, 1988, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2023, 2024
NCAA tournament appearances
1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2022, 2023, 2024
AIAW tournament appearances
1981, 1982
Conference tournament champions
1989, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997
Conference regular season champions
1989, 1995

The Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team represents the University of Colorado Boulder and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.

Conferences

Colorado players defend a shot by an Air Force Falcons women's basketball opponent during a 2023 game at Clune Arena

Colorado plays in the Pac-12 Conference. Prior to the 2011–12 season, they played in the Big 12 Conference. The Buffaloes joined the Big 12 in 1997 when the Big 12 was formed, following the merger of the Big Eight Conference with several former members of the Southwest Conference. Colorado is scheduled to rejoin the Big 12 Conference beginning in 2024.[1]

Coaches

Colorado's head women's basketball coach is JR Payne. Payne was hired prior to the 2016–17 season. She replaced Linda Lappe, who was fired at the end of the 2015–16 season with a 7–23 record.[2]

On March 28, 2016, JR Payne became head coach at Colorado. The eighth head coach in program history, Payne replaced Linda Lappe, who was fired after only managing only a career 33–57 (.367) record in Pac-12 play. JR Payne inherited a program that only finished 7–23 (2–16 Pac-12) in Lappe's final season. JR Payne's 2018–19 Colorado team began Pac-12 conference play with 11 straight losses, the worst start to conference play in program history.[3] JR Payne's 2018–19 Buffs lost on the road to #4/#4 ranked Oregon 102–43, the 59 point loss was the worst loss in 35 years, and 4th worst in program history.[4] The Buffs home win against USC on February 10, 2019 allowed CU to prevent from having both the first 12 game losing streak in program history, and the first winless conference season in program history.[5]

Roster

2022–23 Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Jaylyn Sherrod 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) GS Rasmay HS Birmingham, AL
G 1 Jadyn Atchison 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Fr Cedar Hill HS Cedar Hill, TX
G 2 Tameiya Sadler 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Sr St. Patrick-St. Vincent HS
Washington 		Vallejo, CA
G 3 Frida Formann 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Sr Falkonergårdens Gymnasium Bagsværd, Denmark
G 4 Sara-Rose Smith 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Sr Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence
Missouri 		Victoria, Australia
G 5 Kennedy Sanders 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Fr Chaska HS Chaska, MN
F 11 Quay Miller 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) GS Kentridge HS
Washington 		Renton, WA
G 13 Lele Tanuvasa 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Fr St. Mary's HS Eureka, CA
G 15 Kindyll Wetta 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Jr Valor Christian HS Castle Rock, CO
C 21 Aaronette Vonleh 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Jr West Linn HS
Arizona 		West Linn, OR
G 22 Shelomi Sanders 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) RS Fr Rockwall-Heath HS
Jackson State 		Rockwall, TX
G 23 Mikayla Johnson 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) RS Fr Bartlett HS Anchorage, AK
G 24 Maddie Nolan 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) GS Zionsville Community HS
Michigan 		Zionsville, IN
F 25 Brianna McLeod 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) So Kings Christian Brampton, ON
G 31 Sophie Gerber 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Jr Desert Mountain Scottsdale, AZ
F 32 Ruthie Gerber 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Fr Bridgeport HS Bridgeport, NE
F 45 Charlotte Whittaker 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) GS St Andrew's College Cust, New Zealand
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster


Year by year results

Conference tournament winners noted with (W)
Source[6]

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Coaches' poll AP poll
Carol Hochsprung (Intermountain) (1975–1976)
1975 Carol Hochsprung 2–11 2–10
Carol Hochsprung: 2–11 (.154) 2–10 (.167)
Jerry Zancanelli (Intermountain) (1975–1978)
1975–76 Jerry Zancanelli 8–12 5–8
1976–77 Jerry Zancanelli 14–12 5–8
1977–78 Jerry Zancanelli 18–14 5–8
Jerry Zancanelli: 40–38 (.513) 15–24 (.385)
Rene Portland (Intermountain) (1978–1980)
1978–79 Rene Portland 22–9 10–3 AIAW Regional
1979–80 Rene Portland 18–11 9–1 AIAW Regional
Rene Portland: 40–20 (.667) 19–4 (.826)
Sox Walseth (Intermountain) (1980–1982)
1980–81 Sox Walseth 28–5 10–0 AIAW First Round
1981–82 Sox Walseth 28–8 8–2 AIAW First Round
Sox Walseth (Big Eight Conference) (1982–1983)
1982–83 Sox Walseth 21–8 7–5
Sox Walseth: 77–21 (.786) 25–7 (.781)
Ceal Barry (Big Eight Conference) (1983–1996)
1983–84 Ceal Barry 10–18 3–11
1984–85 Ceal Barry 6–22 2–12
1985–86 Ceal Barry 21–9 9–5 2nd
1986–87 Ceal Barry 14–14 6–8
1987–88 Ceal Barry 21–11 8–6 NCAA Second Round (Play-In)
1988–89 Ceal Barry 27–4 14–0 1st (W) NCAA Second Round (Bye) 19 9
1989–90 Ceal Barry 17–11 10–4
1990–91 Ceal Barry 18–11 8–6
1991–92 Ceal Barry 22–9 11–3 2nd (W) NCAA First Round
1992–93 Ceal Barry 27–4 12–2 1st NCAA Elite Eight 9 10
1993–94 Ceal Barry 27–5 12–2 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen 10 5
1994–95 Ceal Barry 30–3 14–0 1st (W) NCAA Elite Eight 5 2
1995–96 Ceal Barry 26–9 9–5 (W) NCAA Second Round 18 17
Ceal Barry (Big 12 Conference) (1996–2005)
1996–97 Ceal Barry 23–9 12–4 T–2nd (W) (Big 12) NCAA Sweet Sixteen 15 18
1997–98 Ceal Barry 12–16 5–11 8th
1998–99 Ceal Barry 15–14 7–9 T–8th WNIT Sixteen
1999–2000 Ceal Barry 10–19 4–12 10th
2000–01 Ceal Barry 22–9 11–5 4th NCAA Second Round 23 20
2001–02 Ceal Barry 24–10 11–5 T–3rd NCAA Elite Eight 9 12
2002–03 Ceal Barry 24–8 11–5 4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen 19
2003–04 Ceal Barry 22–8 11–5 3rd NCAA First Round 24 17
2004–05 Ceal Barry 9–19 2–14 T–11th
Ceal Barry: 427–242 (.638) 192–134 (.589)
Kathy McConnell-Miller (Big 12 Conference) (2005–2010)
2005–06 Kathy McConnell-Miller 9–21 3–13 11th
2006–07 Kathy McConnell-Miller 13–17 6–10 T–7th
2007–08 Kathy McConnell-Miller 19–15 5–11 9th WNIT Semifinals
2008–09 Kathy McConnell-Miller 11–18 3–13 12th
2009–10 Kathy McConnell-Miller 13–17 3–13 11th
Kathy McConnell-Miller: 65–88 (.425) 20–60 (.250)
Linda Lappe (Big 12 Conference) (2010–2011)
2010–11 Linda Lappe 18–16 6–10 T–8th (Big 12) WNIT Quarterfinals
Linda Lappe (Pac-12 Conference) (2011–2016)
2011–12 Linda Lappe 21–14 6–12 10th (Pac-12) WNIT Quarterfinals
2012–13 Linda Lappe 25–7 13–5 4th NCAA First Round 19 19
2013–14 Linda Lappe 19–15 6–12 T–9th WNIT Quarterfinals
2014–15 Linda Lappe 15–17 6–12 T–9th
2015–16 Linda Lappe 7–23 2–16 12th
Linda Lappe: 105–92 (.533) 39–67 (.368)
JR Payne (Pac-12 Conference) (2016–present)
2016–17 JR Payne 17–16 5–13 T–9th WNIT Third round
2017–18 JR Payne 15–16 5–13 9th
2018–19 JR Payne 12–18 2–16 12th
2019–20 JR Payne 16–14 5–13 T–9th
2020–21 JR Payne 12–11 8–8 6th WNIT Quarterfinals
2021–22 JR Payne 22–9 9–7 5th
2022–23 JR Payne 25–9 13–5 3rd NCAA Sweet Sixteen 15 21
2023–24 JR Payne 24–10 11–7 T–5th NCAA Sweet Sixteen 16 15
JR Payne: 143–103 (.581) 58–82 (.414)
Total: 927–615 (.601)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA tournament results

The Buffaloes have appeared in 14 NCAA Tournaments, with a record of 21–15.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1988 #7 First Round
Second Round		 #10 Eastern Illinois
#2 Long Beach State		 W 78−72
L 64–103
1989 #3 Second Round #6 UNLV L 74–84
1992 #7 First Round #10 Southern Illinois L 80–84 (OT)
1993 #4 Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #5 UC Santa Barbara
#1 Stanford
#2 Texas Tech		 W 81−54
W 80–67
L 54–79
1994 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #14 Marquette
#6 Oregon
#2 Stanford		 W 77−74
W 92–71
L 62–78
1995 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #16 Holy Cross
#9 SW Missouri State
#4 George Washington
#3 Georgia		 W 83−49
W 78–34
W 77–61
L 79–82
1996 #3 First Round
Second Round		 #14 Tulane
#6 Auburn		 W 83−75
L 61–66
1997 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #15 Marshall
#7 Stephen F. Austin
#3 Tennessee		 W 69−49
W 75–74
L 67–75
2001 #6 First Round
Second Round		 #11 Siena
#3 Vanderbilt		 W 98−78
L 59–65
2002 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #14 Southern
#6 LSU
#2 Stanford
#1 Oklahoma		 W 88−61
W 69–58
W 62–59
L 60–94
2003 #6 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #11 BYU
#3 North Carolina
#2 Villanova		 W 84−45
W 86–67
L 51–53
2004 #6 First Round #11 UC Santa Barbara L 49–76
2013 #5 First Round #12 Kansas L 52–67
2023 #6 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #11 Middle Tennessee
#3 Duke
#2 Iowa		 W 82–60
W 61–53 (OT)
L 77–87
2024 #5 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #12 Drake
#4 Kansas State
#1 Iowa		 W 86–72
W 63–50
L 68–89

References

  1. ^ Snyder, Curtis (July 27, 2023). "Colorado To Join Big 12 Conference In 2024-25". University of Colorado Athletics.
  2. ^ "Linda Lappe steps down as Colorado women's basketball coach". RalphieReport.com. 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  3. ^ "CU Buffs women dominated by Oregon Ducks".
  4. ^ "CU Buffs women dominated by Oregon Ducks".
  5. ^ "Hollingshed, Robinson Lead Buffs To First Pac-12 Win".
  6. ^ "Media Guide" (PDF). University of Colorado. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 11 Aug 2013.