Nebraska_Cornhuskers_women's_basketball
Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball
College basketball team
The Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team represents the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The program became a varsity sport in 1975 and has since made fifteen appearances in the NCAA tournament, reaching the Sweet Sixteen twice. NU's longest-tenured head coach was Connie Yori, who led the Cornhuskers to a record-breaking 32–2 season in 2009–10.
| Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | University of Nebraska–Lincoln | ||
| Founded | 1974; 50 years ago (1974) | ||
| Athletic director | Troy Dannen | ||
| Head coach | Amy Williams (8th season) | ||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||
| Location | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Arena | Pinnacle Bank Arena (Capacity: 15,500) | ||
| Nickname | Cornhuskers | ||
| Colors | Scarlet and cream[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 2010, 2013 | |||
| NCAA tournament second round | |||
| 1993, 1998, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2024 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1988, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2024 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 2014 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| 1988, 2010 | |||
The team has been coached by former Cornhusker player Amy Williams since 2016.
Early years
Nebraska's women's basketball program started as a club sport in 1970 and became a varsity sport five years later. In its first season, George Nicodemus led the team to a 22–9 record and the second round of the AIAW Tournament. NU cycled through five head coaches over the next fifteen years until Angela Beck was hired in 1986. In 1988, Beck led the Huskers to a Big Eight title and their first NCAA Tournament. Nebraska returned to the tournament two other times under Beck until she left the program in 1996. Paul Sanderford was hired to replace Beck and he took the Cornhuskers to the tournament in 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Connie Yori (2002–16)
When Sanderford resigned due to health concerns following the 2002 season, NU hired Connie Yori from Creighton to lead the program.[2] The Huskers struggled through Yori's first season, finishing 8–20 and last in the Big 12.[3] In Yori's second season, NU improved to 18–12 and was invited to play in the WNIT, the program's first postseason tournament since 2000. Yori coached the Huskers to the best season in school history in 2009–10. Led by national player of the year finalist Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska started 30–0 and finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in the country, the highest ranking in school history. NU ended the year 32–2, reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the first time, and Yori was named national coach of the year. Nebraska joined the Big Ten the following season. Yori's program won the Big Ten tournament in 2014.
Yori resigned in 2016 following an athletic department investigation into reports that she mistreated her players.[4] She left Nebraska as the program's all-time wins leader, coaching two AP All-Americans and twenty-one all-conference selections during her fourteen-year tenure.
Amy Williams (2016–present)
Following Yori's departure, Nebraska hired Amy Williams to lead the program. Williams, who played at NU from 1994 to 1998, began her head coaching career at NAIA Rogers State, starting the program from scratch.[5] She spent four years at South Dakota, guiding the Coyotes to two Summit League titles, an NCAA Tournament berth, and the 2016 WNIT championship. After a 7–22 debut season at NU, Williams led Nebraska to a 21–11 record in 2017–18. The Cornhuskers tied for third place in the Big Ten and Williams was named the conference's coach of the year.[6]
Coaching history
| No. | Coach | Tenure | Overall | Conference[lower-alpha 1] | Accomplishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan Callahan | 1974–75 | 9–7 (.563) | ||
| 2 | George Nicodemus | 1975–77 | 42–25 (.627) | ||
| 3 | Marcia Walker | 1977–78 | 18–11 (.621) | ||
| 4 | Lorrie Gallagher | 1978–80 | 46–30 (.605) | ||
| 5 | Colleen Matsuhara | 1980–83 | 46–44 (.511) | 5–9 (.357) | |
| 6 | Kelly Hill | 1983–86 | 37–47 (.440) | 15–27 (.357) | |
| 7 | Angela Beck | 1986–96 | 191–128 (.599) | 80–76 (.513) | Big Eight champion (1988) |
| 8 | Paul Sanderford | 1997–2002 | 88–69 (.561) | 37–43 (.463) | |
| 9 | Connie Yori | 2002–16 | 280–166 (.628) | 121–107 (.531) | Big 12 champion (2010) Big Ten tournament champion (2014) |
| 10 | Amy Williams | 2016– | 114–97 (.540) | 58–65 (.472) |
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | First year | Alma mater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Williams | Head coach | 2016 | Nebraska |
| Julian Assibey | Assistant coach | 2023 | William Penn |
| Jessica Keller | Assistant coach | 2022 | Quincy |
| Tandem Mays | Assistant coach | 2016 | Tulsa |
The program plays its home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena, a $181 million multi-use facility completed in 2013. The arena, located in Lincoln's Haymarket District, has a listed capacity of 15,500 for basketball games.[7] The team has finished in the top 25 in average home attendance every year since moving to Pinnacle Bank Arena.[8] Prior to the opening of Pinnacle Bank Arena, Nebraska's men's and women's basketball teams played their home games at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Retired numbers
| No. | Player[9] | Position | Career | Year retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Kelsey Griffin | F | 2005–10 | 2014 |
| 30 | Maurtice Ivy | G | 1984–88 | 2011 |
| 35 | Jordan Hooper | F | 2010-14 | 2024 |
| 51 | Karen Jennings | F | 1989–93 | 1994 |
Huskers in the WNBA
{{columns-list|colwidth=100em|
- Nicole Kubik – Phoenix Mercury (2000–01)
- Anna DeForge – Detroit Shock (2000, 2009), Phoenix Mercury (2003–05), Indiana Fever (2006–07), Minnesota Lynx (2008)
- Danielle Page – Connecticut Sun (2008)
- Kelsey Griffin – Connecticut Sun (2010–14)
- Lindsey Moore – Minnesota Lynx (2013–14)
- Jordan Hooper – Tulsa Shock (2014–15), Dallas Wings (2016), Connecticut Sun (2017), Atlanta Dream (2017), Chicago Sky (2017)
- Yvonne Turner – Phoenix Mercury (2017–19)
- Jaz Shelley – Pheonix Mercury (2024)
The Cornhuskers have appeared in the NCAA tournament sixteen times with a combined record of 9–16.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 5 W | Second round | (4 W) USC | L 100–82 |
| 1993 | 6 W | First round Second round | (11 W) San Diego (3 W) USC | W 81–58 L 78–60 |
| 1996 | 9 W | First round | (8 W) Colorado State | L 66–62 |
| 1998 | 9 E | First round Second round | (8 E) New Mexico (1 E) Old Dominion | W 76–59 L 75–60 |
| 1999 | 11 W | First round | (6 W) Kentucky | L 98–92 |
| 2000 | 12 ME | First round | (5 ME) Boston College | L 93–76 |
| 2007 | 9 | First round | (8) Temple | L 64–61 |
| 2008 | 8 | First round Second round | (9) Xavier (1) Maryland | W 61–58 L 76–64 |
| 2010 | 1 | First round Second round Regional semifinals | (16) Northern Iowa (8) UCLA (4) Kentucky | W 83–44 W 83–70 L 76–67 |
| 2012 | 6 | First round | (11) Kansas | L 57–49 |
| 2013 | 6 | First round Second round Regional semifinals | (11) Chattanooga (3) Texas A&M (2) Duke | W 72–59 W 74–63 L 53–45 |
| 2014 | 4 | First round Second round | (13) Fresno State (12) BYU | W 74–55 L 80–76 |
| 2015 | 9 | First round | (8) Syracuse | L 72–69 |
| 2018 | 10 | First round | (7) Arizona State | L 73–62 |
| 2022 | 8 | First round | (9) Gonzaga | L 68–55 |
| 2024 | 6 | First round Second round | (11) Texas A&M (3) Oregon State | W 61–59 L 51-61 |
| Regular season champion | Tournament champion |
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent (1974–1982) | ||||||||
| 1974–75 | Jan Callahan | 9–7 | ||||||
| 1975–76 | George Nicodemus | 21–9 | NWIT Fifth Place | |||||
| 1976–77 | 21–16 | |||||||
| 1977–78 | Marcia Walker | 18–11 | ||||||
| 1978–79 | Lorrie Gallagher | 23–13 | AIAW Regional | |||||
| 1979–80 | 23–17 | AIAW Regional | ||||||
| 1980–81 | Colleen Matsuhara | 18–13 | AIAW Regional | |||||
| 1981–82 | 14–17 | |||||||
| Big Eight Conference (1982–1996) | ||||||||
| 1982–83 | Colleen Matsuhara | 14–14 | 5–9 | 5th | ||||
| 1983–84 | Kelly Hill | 16–12 | 6–8 | 6th | ||||
| 1984–85 | 10–18 | 5–9 | 6th | |||||
| 1985–86 | 11–17 | 4–10 | 4th | |||||
| 1986–87 | Angela Beck | 16–13 | 8–6 | 4th | ||||
| 1987–88 | 22–7 | 11–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1988–89 | 14–14 | 5–9 | 7th | |||||
| 1989–90 | 10–18 | 2–12 | T–7th | |||||
| 1990–91 | 17–11 | 8–6 | 3rd | |||||
| 1991–92 | 21–11 | 9–5 | 3rd | NWIT Fourth Place | ||||
| 1992–93 | 23–8 | 10–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 1993–94 | 17–13 | 7–7 | 4th | |||||
| 1994–95 | 13–14 | 4–10 | 7th | |||||
| 1995–96 | 19–10 | 8–6 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| Big 12 Conference (1996–2011) | ||||||||
| 1996–97 | Angela Beck | 19–9 | 8–8 | 6th | ||||
| 1997–98 | Paul Sanderford | 23–10 | 11–5 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Second Round | |||
| 1998–99 | 21–12 | 8–8 | T–5th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 1999–00 | 18–13 | 10–6 | 5th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2000–01 | 12–18 | 4–12 | 10th | |||||
| 2001–02 | 14–16 | 4–12 | 11th | |||||
| 2002–03 | Connie Yori | 8–20 | 1–15 | 12th | ||||
| 2003–04 | 18–12 | 7–9 | T–7th | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| 2004–05 | 18–14 | 8–8 | T–6th | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| 2005–06 | 19–13 | 8–8 | T–6th | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2006–07 | 22–10 | 10–6 | T–4th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2007–08 | 21–12 | 9–7 | 6th | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 2008–09 | 15–16 | 6–10 | T–7th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2009–10 | 32–2 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2010–11 | 13–18 | 3–13 | 12th | |||||
| Big Ten Conference (2011–present) | ||||||||
| 2011–12 | Connie Yori | 24–9 | 10–6 | 6th | NCAA Division I First Round | |||
| 2012–13 | 25–9 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2013–14 | 26–7 | 12–4 | 3rd | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
| 2014–15 | 21–11 | 10–8 | 7th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2015–16 | 18–13 | 9–9 | T–7th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2016–17 | Amy Williams | 7–22 | 3–13 | T–11th | ||||
| 2017–18 | 21–11 | 11–5 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2018–19 | 14–16 | 9–9 | T–6th | |||||
| 2019–20 | 17–13 | 7–11 | 10th | Canceled[lower-alpha 2] | ||||
| 2020–21 | 13–13 | 9–10 | 9th | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| 2021–22 | 24–9 | 11–7 | 6th | NCAA Division I First Round | ||||
| 2022–23 | 18–15 | 8–10 | 8th | WNIT Super 16 | ||||
| 2023–24 | 23-12 | 11–7 | 5th | NCAA Division I Second Round | ||||
- Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Nebraska Athletics Brand Guide (PDF). July 1, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- "NU women's baseketball coach resigns". dailynebraskan.com. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- "Connie Yori". Huskers.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- Star, Brian Rosenthal | Lincoln Journal Star, Brent Wagner | Lincoln Journal. "Yori out as Nebraska women's basketball coach". JournalStar.com. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - "Amy Williams - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". www.huskers.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-15.
- "Big Ten Womens Basketball Honors Announced on BTN :: Big Ten Conference". Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- "Pinnacle Bank Arena :: History". www.pinnaclebankarena.com. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
- "Women's Basketball Attendance". Retrieved 2020-05-30.
- "Media Guide". University of Nebraska. Retrieved 10 Aug 2013.
