Penn State Lady Lions basketball

Penn State Lady Lions
2024–25 Penn State Lady Lions basketball team
UniversityPennsylvania State University
First season1965
Athletic directorPatrick Kraft
Head coachCarolyn Kieger (6th season)
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
LocationUniversity Park, Pennsylvania
ArenaBryce Jordan Center
(capacity: 15,261)
NicknameLady Lions
ColorsBlue and white[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament Final Four
2000
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1983, 1994, 2000, 2004
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2014
NCAA tournament round of 32
1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
NCAA tournament appearances
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
AIAW tournament appearances
1976
Conference tournament champions
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996
Conference regular season champions
1985, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014

The Penn State Lady Lions basketball team represents Pennsylvania State University and plays its home games in the Bryce Jordan Center. In 2013, the Lady Lions became just the 12th program in NCAA Division I history to reach 850 wins.[2] Penn State has won 8 regular season Big Ten titles and the first 2 Big Ten tournament titles in 1995 and 1996. Prior to joining the Big Ten, the Lady Lions competed in the Atlantic 10 conference.[3] The Lady Lions have 25 NCAA tournament appearances as of 2014, the most in the Big Ten. The team's best post-season finish came in 2000 when the Lady Lions reached the Final Four before losing to eventual champion UConn. The Lady Lions captured the WNIT title in 1998 defeating Baylor 59–56 in Waco, Texas. Notable alumni include WBCA First Team All-Americans Suzie McConnell, Susan Robinson, Helen Darling, and Kelly Mazzante. ESPN correspondent Lisa Salters is the shortest player in Lady Lions history at 5'-2".

Current coaching staff

Position Name Year Alma mater
Head coach Carolyn Kieger 2019 Marquette University (2006)
Assistant coach Terri Williams 2022 Penn State (1991)
Assistant coach Sharnee Zoll-Norman 2022 Virginia (2008)
Assistant coach Tiffany Swoffard 2023 Austin Peay State University (2002)
Assistant coach Pam Brown 2019 UNC Charlotte (2006)
Assistant coach Natisha Hiedeman 2023 Marquette University (2019)
Director of Program Development Katie Glusko Sosnoskie 2023 West Virginia (2006)

Pink Zone at Penn State

Annually, the Lady Lions don pink jerseys in support of several organizations that fight breast cancer in what is now known as the "Pink Zone at Penn State" game. The Lady Lions were the first Division I team in the nation to wear pink jerseys,[4] a growing trend in athletics. Then-head coach Rene Portland developed the idea in 2006 with money from the Big Ten Conference, and the first game (termed the "Think Pink" game) occurred in February 2007 against Wisconsin.[5] In 2012, the Pink Zone at Penn State raised a record $203,000 to distribute to its beneficiaries.[6]

All-time season results

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Marie Litner (Independent) (1965–1970)
1965 Marie Litner 3–1
1966 Marie Litner 3–2
1967 Marie Litner 2–3
1968 Marie Litner 4–2
1969 Marie Litner 3–3
1970 Marie Litner 5–1
Marie Litner: 20–12
Mary Ann Domitrovitz (Independent) (1971–1974)
1971 Mary Ann Domitrovitz 6–2
1972 Mary Ann Domitrovitz 4–3
1973 Mary Ann Domitrovitz 3–5
1974 Mary Ann Domitrovitz 5–3
Mary Ann Domitrovitz: 17–13
Pat Meiser (Independent) (1974–1980)
1974–75 Pat Meiser 7–7 EAIAW Mid-Atlantic Tournament
1975–76 Pat Meiser 10–10 AIAW First Round
1976–77 Pat Meiser 13–8 EAIAW Mid-Atlantic Tournament
1977–78 Pat Meiser 21–5 EAIAW Mid-Atlantic Tournament
1978–79 Pat Meiser 21–8 EAIAW Mid-Atlantic Tournament
1979–80 Pat Meiser 20–14 EAIAW Mid-Atlantic Tournament
Pat Meiser: 92–52
Rene Portland (Independent, Atlantic 10 (1982–1991), Big Ten (1992–Present)) (1980–2007)
1980–81 Rene Portland 19–9 EAIAW Mid-Atlantic Tournament
1981–82 Rene Portland 24–6 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Atlantic 10 Conference
1982–83 Rene Portland 26–7 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1983–84 Rene Portland 19–12 6–2 2nd NCAA first round
1984–85 Rene Portland 28–5 7–1 1st (tie)[3] NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1985–86 Rene Portland 24–8 12–4 1st (tie)[3] NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1986–87 Rene Portland 23–7 16–2 2nd NCAA second round
1987–88 Rene Portland 20–13 11–7 4th NCAA second round
1988–89 Rene Portland 14–14 12–6 4th
1989–90 Rene Portland 25–7 15–3 3rd NCAA second round
1990–91 Rene Portland 29–2 17–1 1st NCAA second round
Independent
1991–92 Rene Portland 24–7 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Big Ten Conference
1992–93 Rene Portland 22–6 14–4 3rd NCAA second round
1993–94 Rene Portland 28–3 16–2 1st NCAA Elite Eight
1994–95 Rene Portland 26–5 13–3 1st NCAA second round
1995–96 Rene Portland 27–7 13–3 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1996–97 Rene Portland 15–12 8–8 6th
1997–98 Rene Portland 21–13 8–8 7th WNIT Champions
1998–99 Rene Portland 22–8 12–4 2nd NCAA second round
1999-00 Rene Portland 30–5 15–1 1st NCAA Final Four
2000–01 Rene Portland 19–10 11–5 4th NCAA first round
2001–02 Rene Portland 23–12 11–5 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2002–03 Rene Portland 26–9 13–3 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2003–04 Rene Portland 28–6 15–1 1st NCAA Elite Eight
2004–05 Rene Portland 19*-11 13–3 3rd NCAA first round
2005–06 Rene Portland 13–16 6–10 7th
2006–07 Rene Portland 15–16 7–9 5th
Rene Portland: 606*-236 271–95
Coquese Washington (Big Ten) (2007–2019)
2007–08 Coquese Washington 13–18 4–14 10th
2008–09 Coquese Washington 11–18 6–12 7th
2009–10 Coquese Washington 17–14 8–10 6th WNIT First Round
2010–11 Coquese Washington 25–10 11–5 2nd NCAA second round
2011–12 Coquese Washington 26–7 13–3 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2012–13 Coquese Washington 26–6 14–2 1st NCAA second round
2013–14 Coquese Washington 24–8 13–3 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2014–15 Coquese Washington 6–24 3–15 13th
2015–16 Coquese Washington 12–19 6–12 11th
2016–17 Coquese Washington 21-11 9-7 7th WNIT Third Round
2017–18 Coquese Washington 16-16 6-10 11th WNIT First round
2018–19 Coquese Washington 12-18 5-13 12th
Coquese Washington: 209–169 98–111
Carolyn Kieger (Big Ten) (2019–Present)
2019–20 Carolyn Kieger 7–23 1–17 14th
2020–21 Carolyn Kieger 9–15 6–13 11th
2021–22 Carolyn Kieger 11–18 5–13 12th
2022–23 Carolyn Kieger 14–17 4–14 T–12th
2022–23 Carolyn Kieger 19–12 9–9 T–6th WBIT
Carolyn Kieger: 60–85 25–66
Total: 1,007–563 (.641)

      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

* The Lady Lions finished 19–11 in 2004–05, but three wins were credited to assistant head coach Annie Troyan.

Source:[7]

Postseason results

NCAA Division I

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1982 #4 First Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #5 Clemson
#1 USC		 W 96-75
L 70-73
1983 #5 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #4 NC State
#1 Cheyney
#2 Old Dominion		 W 94-80
W 73-72
L 60-74
1984 #8 First Round #1 Old Dominion L 65-87
1985 #3 First Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #6 UNC
#2 Ohio State		 W 98-79
L 78-81
1986 #3 First Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #6 NC State
#2 Rutgers		 W 63-59
L 72-85
1987 #5 First Round #4 Ole Miss L 75-80
1988 #9 First Round
Second Round		 #8 La Salle
#1 Auburn		 W 86-85
L 66-94
1990 #7 First Round
Second Round		 #10 Florida State
#2 Virginia		 W 83-73
L 64-85
1991 #1 Second Round #8 James Madison L 71-73
1992 #3 Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #11 DePaul
#2 Ole Miss		 W 77-54
L 72-75
1993 #3 Second Round #6 Georgetown L 67-68
1994 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #16 Fordham
#9 Kansas
#4 Seton Hall
#6 Alabama		 W 94-41
W 85-68
W 64-60
L 82-96
1995 #2 First Round
Second Round		 #15 Jackson State
#7 NC State		 W 75-62
L 74-76
1996 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #15 Youngstown State
#10 Kent State
#6 Auburn		 W 94-71
W 86-59
L 69-75
1999 #8 First Round
Second Round		 #9 Virginia
#1 Louisiana Tech		 W 82-69
L 62-79
2000 #2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four		 #15 Youngstown State
#7 Auburn
#3 Iowa State
#1 Louisiana Tech
#1 Connecticut		 W 83-63
W 75-69
W 66-65
W 86-65
L 67-89
2001 #6 First Round #11 TCU L 75-77
2002 #4 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #13 Chattanooga
#5 FIU
#1 Connecticut		 W 82-67
W 96-79
L 64-82
2003 #4 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #13 Holy Cross
#5 South Carolina
#1 Tennessee		 W 64-33
W 77-67
L 58-86
2004 #1 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		 #16 Hampton
#8 Virginia Tech
#5 Notre Dame
#2 Connecticut		 W 79-42
W 61-48
W 55-49
L 49-66
2005 #4 First Round #13 Liberty L 70-78
2011 #6 First Round
Second Round		 #11 Dayton
#3 DePaul		 W 75-66
L 73-75
2012 #4 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #13 UTEP
#5 LSU
#1 Connecticut		 W 85-77
W 90-80
L 59-77
2013 #3 First Round
Second Round		 #14 Cal Poly
#6 LSU		 W 85-55
L 66-71
2014 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		 #14 Wichita State
#11 Florida
#2 Stanford		 W 62-56
W 83-61
L 57-82

AIAW Division I

The Nittany Lions made one appearance in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 0–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
1976 First Round
Consolation First Round 		Delta State
Southern Connecticut State 		L, 46–88
L, 51–63

Awards and honors

Atlantic 10 awards

Big Ten awards

National and regional awards

Wade Trophy

  • 1992, Susan Robinson

Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award

CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year

Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Year

  • 1991, Susan Robinson

WBCA Coach of the Year

USBWA Coach of the Year

Black Coaches & Administrators Female Coach of the Year

References

  1. ^ "Design Essentials". Brand.PSU.edu. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  2. ^ "2012–13 Penn State Lady Lion Basketball" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  3. ^ a b c Waterman, Tom, ed. (2015). 2015-16 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Media Guide. Richmond, Virginia: Atlantic 10 Conference. p. 77. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  4. ^ "State College, PA – Penn State Women's Basketball: Lady Lions Volunteer Time at Pink Out Day". Statecollege.com. 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  5. ^ "Pink Zone game growing - the Daily Collegian Online". www.collegian.psu.edu. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  6. ^ "2012 Pink Zone Donates Record ,000 to Breast Cancer Charities – Penn State Official Athletic Site". Gopsusports.com. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  7. ^ "All-Time Results" (PDF). Grfx.cstv.com. Retrieved 2015-06-26.